Q&A with our new Editor-in-Chief

Get to know our founding Editor-in-Chief, Prof Gonçalo Homem de Almeida Correia, as he answers questions about his research experience and becoming involved with the journal.

What is your research background?

My expertise lies in the examination of urban mobility solutions that offer viable alternatives to private car usage, specifically focusing on carsharing, bikesharing, ridesharing and automated vehicles used as public transport. These innovative approaches hold significant promise in fostering a multimodal urban transportation system, thereby paving the way for a more sustainable mobility landscape. My work primarily involves conducting modelling studies that incorporate optimization, simulation, and behaviour modelling techniques to further explore and enhance these solutions.

 

What is your favourite thing about research?

My passion lies in pursuing unanswered research questions rather than adhering strictly to continue developing a few preferred methods. I initiate my research journey by identifying pivotal yet unexplored inquiries that hold significant relevance in the context of advancing transport sustainability. The prospect of being the pioneer in unravelling complex research questions fills me with immense gratification. In many cases, I tackle these challenging questions by developing novel methodologies and engaging in fruitful collaborations with international teams possessing complementary research expertise, essential for addressing these queries comprehensively.

 

What is the best advice you can give to early career researchers?

Identify those uncharted queries and cultivate a personal motivation that extends beyond the realm of research. Whether your aspiration is to enhance the sustainability of the planet or to be the catalyst in discovering a cure for a particular disease, these overarching objectives provide the enduring fuel that propels you forward, even in the face of career challenges.

 

What are you most looking forward to in your role as Editor-in-Chief?

I am enthusiastic about establishing a robust foundation for multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research within the field of mobility and transport. My overarching objective is to actively contribute to the necessary transformations that will enhance the sustainability and environmental friendliness of our mobility systems. While achieving this aim will undoubtedly demand substantial effort from both me and the associate editors, I firmly believe that productivity within our field is on the upswing, with an increasing emphasis on generating research that directly benefits society. This, in turn, should facilitate our work. Within this context, I see this journal as having the potential to play a pivotal and transformative role in advancing the shift toward more impactful and sustainable mobility research.

 

Why should researchers submit their work to npj Sustainable Mobility and Transport?

If you have a research paper that offers meaningful insights into the enhancement of sustainability within our mobility and transportation systems, particularly through the utilization of interdisciplinary research methodologies, you've arrived at the ideal platform for showcasing your work. We warmly welcome papers that delve into the multifaceted aspects of sustainable mobility, exploring innovative approaches, and solutions that harmonize various disciplines to address the pressing challenges within our transport systems.