Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

Heidi Howarth, Ph.D.

Dr. Heidi Howarth is an engineering psychologist who specializes in ergonomic work systems and transportation operator fatigue (Ph.D., University of Connecticut, Storrs; 2002). She joined the Human Factors Division in 2003 and serves as the co-lead of the Fatigue Monitoring and Countermeasures Research Team, which investigates multimodal fatigue and alertness issues, including fatigue management and the validation of various fatigue monitoring technologies. Dr. Howarth is also involved with research on the driver acceptance of emerging and new in-vehicle technologies for passenger automobiles and commercial trucks. Recently, she co-authored a chapter for the Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics, 3rd ed., entitled "Ergonomics of Work Systems."

Prior to working at the Volpe Center, Dr. Howarth was a doctoral intern at the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, where she conducted and published research in the areas of driver fatigue, distraction, and cognitive workload.

Phone: 617/494-2522
E-mail: howarth@volpe.dot.gov