Akhilesh Chepuri | Sustainability Engineering | Young Researcher Award

Dr. Akhilesh Chepuri | Sustainability Engineering | Young Researcher Award

Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management Hyderabad | India

Dr. Akhilesh Chepuri is an accomplished academician and researcher serving as an Assistant Professor and Head of the Department of Civil Engineering at GITAM School of Technology, Hyderabad. With extensive expertise in transportation engineering, he has contributed significantly to the fields of traffic simulation, modeling, transportation safety, and urban planning. Dr. Chepuri is recognized for his impactful teaching, research, and leadership in civil engineering education. His career reflects a consistent pursuit of academic excellence and innovative research solutions to enhance traffic management and sustainable transportation systems.

Professional Profiles

SCOPUS
ORCID

Education

Dr. Chepuri has pursued a robust academic path in civil engineering, specializing in transportation engineering and planning. He holds a Bachelor of Technology in Civil Engineering, a Master of Technology in Transportation Engineering and Planning from a nationally reputed institute, and a Doctorate in Civil Engineering with a focus on transportation systems. Throughout his academic journey, he consistently achieved top positions and accolades for his outstanding academic performance, including securing the first rank during his postgraduate studies. His education provided him with strong analytical, theoretical, and practical knowledge in traffic simulation, safety, and infrastructure design.

Experience

Dr. Chepuri’s professional journey is marked by a combination of teaching, research, and administrative responsibilities. He began his career as a teaching assistant during his postgraduate and doctoral research tenure, where he gained hands-on experience mentoring students and conducting technical workshops. He later served as an Assistant Professor at Sreenidhi Institute of Science and Technology, Hyderabad, before taking on his current role at GITAM School of Technology, where he also heads the Department of Civil Engineering. His contributions include curriculum development, project supervision, guest lectures, and organizing specialized training sessions on advanced transportation software and systems.

Research Interests

Dr. Chepuri’s research primarily focuses on traffic simulation and modeling, transportation planning, and road safety management. He has a keen interest in the development and application of intelligent transportation systems, sustainable urban transport solutions, and data-driven methods to improve traffic flow and reduce congestion. His work also explores the integration of simulation tools like VISSIM, VISUM, and advanced data analysis techniques to enhance transportation infrastructure and safety standards.

Awards and Recognitions

Throughout his career, Dr. Chepuri has received numerous accolades for his academic and research excellence. He was awarded a gold medal for securing the first rank in his master’s program and has won best paper awards at prestigious national conferences. His international presence is marked by multiple travel grants, enabling him to present his research at leading global forums, including the Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board in Washington, D.C., USA. He has also been honored with a distinguished alumni award from his high school and recognized for his significant contributions to research advancement by esteemed institutions. Additionally, he has served as a reviewer for reputed international journals and conferences, further cementing his status as an authority in his field.

Publications

Chepuri, A., Kulakarni, R., Reddy, S., Bains, M.S., Arkatkar, S.S., Joshi, G. (2015). “Evaluation of BRTS Corridor in India Using Microscopic Simulation: A Case Study in Surat City” in Proceedings of Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies.

Raju, N., Mishra, A., Chepuri, A., Arkatkar, S.S., Joshi, G. (2017). “A Simulation Approach for Examining Designed Truck Terminal Operations for Forecasted Demand at Busy Sea Port” in Journal of Eastern Asian Societies for Transportation Studies (EASTS) .

Chepuri, A., Borakanavar, M., Amrutsamanvar, R., Arkatkar, S.S., Joshi, G. (2018). “Examining Travel Time Reliability under Mixed Traffic Conditions: A Case Study of Urban Arterial Roads in Indian Cities” in Asian Transport Studies.

Chepuri, A., Jairam, R., Arkatkar, S.S., Joshi, G., Pulugurtha, S.S. (2018). “Examining Travel Time Reliability-Based Performance Indicators for Bus Routes Using GPS-Based Bus Trajectory Data in India” in ASCE Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part A: Systems.

Chepuri, A., Wagh, A., Arkatkar, S.S., Joshi, G. (2018). “Study of Travel Time Variability Using Two-Wheeler Probed Data – An Indian Experience” in Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers – Transport.

Conclusion

Dr. Akhilesh Chepuri stands out as a dynamic and dedicated professional in civil and transportation engineering. His work bridges the gap between academic research and practical implementation, contributing to advancements in traffic safety, intelligent transportation systems, and urban infrastructure planning. As an educator, researcher, and mentor, he continues to inspire future civil engineers while actively shaping innovative transportation solutions for modern cities. His achievements reflect a deep commitment to academic leadership, research excellence, and the development of sustainable and efficient transportation networks.

Jin Liu | Algorithm Development | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Jin Liu | Algorithm Development | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Jin Liu | Algorithm DevelopmentUniversity of Leeds | United Kingdom

Dr. Jin Liu is a dedicated and forward-thinking researcher in the field of railway traffic management and intelligent transportation systems. Currently serving as a Research Fellow at the Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds, Dr. Liu has established himself as a key contributor to the development of next-generation transport technologies. His work bridges theory and practice, especially in areas of train rescheduling, real-time traffic control, and AI-driven optimisation methods for complex railway systems. With a solid foundation in electrical engineering and deep expertise in rail operation control systems, Dr. Liu continues to push boundaries in transport innovation through multi-agent systems, digital twins, and AI applications.

Professional Profile

SCOPUS

Education

Dr. Liu began his academic journey with a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering and Automation from the Harbin Institute of Technology, China. He then pursued his Master’s degree in Electronic and Electrical Engineering at the University of Birmingham, UK, where he completed a significant final-year project on onboard wheel slip protection systems for high-speed rail. Building on his growing interest in rail systems, Dr. Liu remained at Birmingham to complete his Ph.D., focusing on a multi-agent-based approach for resolving real-time train rescheduling problems in large-scale railway networks. His doctoral work laid the groundwork for much of his subsequent research on optimising railway traffic management using intelligent algorithms.

Professional Experience

Dr. Liu’s academic career commenced at Newcastle University as a Research Assistant and later as a Research Associate in the School of Engineering. He transitioned to the University of Leeds in March 2022, where he now contributes to multiple EU and UK-funded transportation projects. His role in these initiatives often involves the development of advanced algorithms, decision-support tools, and data models for improving operational efficiency in rail and road transport. Dr. Liu also provides leadership in technical project deliverables, industrial collaboration, and conference participation. He has built a reputation for integrating academic research with real-world applications, especially in projects related to electric vehicles, nano-emission tracking, and rail timetable optimisation.

Research Interests

Dr. Liu’s research revolves around modelling, analysis, and optimisation of rail traffic operations, including both passenger and freight services. He is particularly interested in developing energy-efficient train operations, train speed profile optimisation, and multi-agent-based modelling for traffic management. His algorithmic expertise covers both exact methods and meta-heuristic approaches, and he is deeply engaged in applying artificial intelligence—especially reinforcement learning—to real-world transportation challenges. Furthermore, his research encompasses railway system requirements analysis, focusing on RAM (Reliability, Availability, Maintainability), safety and security standards, and the verification and validation of novel railway traffic management applications.

Awards and Professional Engagements

Dr. Liu’s contributions to transport research have been recognised with several prestigious awards and professional memberships. Notably, he is the recipient of the Michael Beverley Innovation Fellowship, the International Researcher Mobility Fund, and has served as a guest speaker at the Birmingham Decarbonisation Summer School. His academic impact is evidenced by his selection as a Program Committee Member for the AI4RAILS 2023 conference and as a session chair at the IEEE ITSC 2023. He also plays a significant role in collaborative transportation initiatives, serving as the Early Career Researcher representative for the Network for Innovative Sustainable Transportation Co-Simulation. Furthermore, his work has been acknowledged among the top ten most downloaded papers of 2023 in his field.

Dr. Liu is an Associate Fellow of the UK’s Higher Education Academy and maintains an active publishing profile, with his research appearing in prestigious journals such as Applied Sciences, IET Intelligent Transport Systems, and Journal of Rail Transport Planning & Management. His research output includes notable work on reinforcement learning applications in train scheduling, system validation in virtual environments, and the assessment of railway operation impacts under hazardous conditions. Through his ongoing projects with European and UK stakeholders—such as Shift2Rail, Network Rail, and the EPSRC—Dr. Liu continues to contribute meaningfully to shaping the future of sustainable, intelligent, and resilient transportation systems.

Publications

A Multi-agent Based Approach for Railway Traffic Management Problems

Authors: J. Liu, L. Chen, C. Roberts, Z. Li, T. Wen
Journal/Conference: 2018 International Conference on Intelligent Rail Transportation (ICIRT)
Year: 2019

Algorithm and peer-to-peer negotiation strategies for train dispatching problems in railway bottleneck sections

Authors: J. Liu, L. Chen, C. Roberts, G. Nicholson, B. Ai
Journal: IET Intelligent Transport Systems
Year: 2019

Use cases for obstacle detection and track intrusion detection systems in the context of new generation of railway traffic management systems

Authors: P. Hyde, C. Ulianov, J. Liu, M. Banic, M. Simonovic, D. Ristic-Durrant
Journal: Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit
Year: 2021

Novel approach for validation of innovative modules for railway traffic management systems in a virtual environment

Authors: J. Liu, C. Ulianov, P. Hyde, A. L. Ruscelli, G. Cecchetti
Journal: Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit
Year: 2022

Formalization and Processing of Data Requirements for the Development of Next Generation Railway Traffic Management Systems

Authors: A. Magnien, G. Cecchetti, A. L. Ruscelli, P. Hyde, J. Liu, S. Wegele
Journal: Reliability, Safety, and Security of Railway Systems. Modelling, Analysis, Verification, and Certification (Book/Conference Proceedings)
Year: 2022