Brian H. Philips, Human Factors Team Leader
Brian.Philips@dot.gov, 202-493-3468

Specialty research areas:

• Driving behavior and safety
• Driver distraction
• Connected and automated vehicles
• Cooperative driving automation human factors issues
• Intelligent transportation systems
• Multiagent/multimodal transportation simulation
• Virtual and augmented reality

Brian joined Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA’s) Office of Safety Research and Development (R&D) in 2011. He has been involved in human factors research for more than 30 years. Brian is a member of the Transportation Research Board's Vehicle User Characteristics Committee.

• Connected and automated vehicles
• Driver behavior and safety
• Driver distraction
• Naturalistic driving data
• Visibility

Michelle joined FHWA’s Office of Safety R&D in 2014. She manages the highway driving simulation laboratory and is experienced in behavioral research with more than 14 years of experience related to driver and road user behavior. Michelle also is responsible for leading a variety of human factors research including driver interaction with connected and automated vehicles, novel operational design concepts, traffic control devices, visibility, and naturalistic driving data. Michelle graduated with a B.S., in Psychology, and an M.A. and Ph.D., in Psychology from Western Michigan University.

Ann Do, Highway Research Engineer
Ann.Do@dot.gov, 202-493-3319

Specialty research areas:

• Pedestrian and bicycle safety
• Highway design

Ann joined FHWA in 1990 as a Highway Design Engineer. Currently, she is the Program Manager for Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Research in the Office of Safety R&D. Ann is responsible for designing and managing research, providing technical assistance, guidance, and support to other FHWA offices and to State and local transportation agencies in areas related to pedestrian and bicycle safety. Ann received her B.S. in Civil Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in June 1987.

Jesse Eisert, Research Psychologist
Jesse.eisert@dot.gov, 202-493-3284

Specialty research areas:

• Driver behavior and safety
• Driver distraction
• Connected and automated vehicles
• Intelligent Transportation Systems

Jesse joined FHWA’s Office of Safety R&D in 2020. He has been involved in human factors research for more than 10 years. Jesse has written and coauthored over 15 journal articles, conference papers, and technical reports, and has served as a human factors subject matter expert for a litigation case. Jesse received his B.S. in Psychology from Penn State Behrend, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Psychology with a concentration in Human Factors and Applied Cognition from George Mason University.

Specialty research areas:

• Traffic control devices
• Intersection human factors
• Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices
• Connected and automated vehicles
• Pedestrian and bicycle safety

Laura joined FHWA in 2013 on the Professional Development Program (PDP) in the Kentucky Division, then spent more than 4 years in the FHWA Ohio Division. Laura joined the Office of Safety R&D in 2019. She is the lead agency contact for the Traffic Control Device (TCD) Consortium Pooled Fund Study and is responsible for managing research projects, and providing technical assistance, guidance, and support to other FHWA offices and to State and local transportation agencies in a variety of areas, including connected and automated vehicles. Laura also supports the Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Research Program. Laura received her B.S. in Psychology and M.S. in Industrial Engineering, Human Factors option from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech).