Elena Fratini is a PhD student at Loughborough University and the Transport Safety Research Centre (TSRC). Elena’s PhD aims to investigate how external human-computer interfaces (eHMIs) can be used to support the safe interaction between autonomous vehicles (AVs) and pedestrians in complex traffic environments. With the deployment of autonomous vehicles, the driver will no longer be available for communication, and so, alternative interaction approaches will be needed to replace existing forms of communication. Elena’s PhD is well placed, as there is a need for further research about the performance of eHMIs in more diverse traffic scenarios, with multiple traffic participants and different road and traffic configurations; such research will help with the development of eHMIs, to ensure they perform safely and predictably in existing traffic environments. Elena’s supervisors are Professor Pete Thomas and Ruth Welsh.