Helen Viner replaces Richard Woodward as Chief Scientist and Research Director, Infrastructure for TRL and as FEHRL Research Coordinator (RC)

Helen, who has worked for TRL since 1997, has replaced Richard in both of these roles since he retired at the end of 2012. Helen graduated with a degree in Natural Sciences, and followed this with a PhD and two years of post-doctoral research before joining TRL. Since then she has worked primarily in pavement surface characteristics, where she has been responsible for delivering research programmes and developing associated advice and standards. Her experience includes tyre-road interaction (friction, splash/spray and noise); the influence of surface condition on accident risk and the development of performance indicators for pavement management. Helen was one of the main authors of the 2004 UK skid resistance standard and has contributed to European projects on skid resistance and performance indicators.  She is a member of the TRB Committee on surface properties and their interaction with vehicles (AFD90).

In her previous role as the Technical Director of the Technology Development Group, Helen had responsibilities for the technical quality of a wide-ranging portfolio of projects and for developing collaborative research partnerships in the UK, Europe, and USA, and both of these will continue to be themes in her new appointment. 

Richard worked at TRL for 38 years and, with his appointment in January 2001 as Chief Scientist and Research Director in the Infrastructure Division, assumed the role of RC for FEHRL.

During his career with TRL, Richard held a variety of posts, at one time managing 60 staff and other resources focused on research on bridges and ground engineering. He was also seconded to the then Department of Transport, co-ordinating advice on policy and legal matters relating to the Channel Tunnel.

Richard was involved in a number of major European projects, most recently providing assistance to the ERA-NET ROAD II project, coordinating negotiations with the European Commission.  He was also much involved in COST 345: Assessment of Highway Structures, European Commission and as project coordinator in the earlier Bridge Management in Europe (BRIME), looking to develop an outline framework for a bridge management system in Europe.