The Team
Given the complex nature of the problem, a multidisciplinary team involving researchers, policymakers, service providers and communities is needed. The CONUNDRUM team is just that — bringing together different disciplines and expertise relevant to the co-creation, development, adoption and deployment of sustainable mobility solutions.
Niamh Moore-Cherry
Professor Niamh Moore-Cherry is PI for CONUNDRUM. She is Dean of Social Sciences and College Principal in the UCD College of Social Sciences and Law. She is also Full Professor in the UCD School of Geography and Honorary Professor at the Bartlett School of Planning, University College London. Her research focuses on place-based urban and regional development, governance and the impact of territorial politics on just and sustainable outcomes for communities and places.
Brian Caulfield
Prof Brian Caulfield is co-PI for CONUNDRUM. He is Head of Discipline in the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, Trinity College Dublin. Since joining the Department Prof Caulfield has embarked on an intensive research program addressing global issues such as the environmental impacts of transport. He recently provided advice to the Climate Change Advisory Council on pathways to decreasing transport emissions by 2030.
Dean Phelan
Dr Dean Phelan is co-I for CONUNDRUM at UCD’s School of Geography where he is a Research Fellow. A feminist and anti-colonial, political geographer, his work focuses on the just transitions of urban food and mobility systems, specifically the potential of co-creation and participatory approaches for engaging marginalised communities and decision-makers in planning and policy.
Conor Dowling
Dr Conor Dowling is a Senior Research Fellow in Trinity College Dublin whose research focuses on the intersection of sustainable, resilient systems, and social innovation. Within CONUNDRUM, Conor leads on the TownsMatter platform, implementation pathways, and long-term impact development. Winner of the Trinity ‘Sustainability Leadership Award’ 2025.
Zikang Ji
Zikang Ji is a PhD researcher in the School of Geography at University College Dublin, currently working as a research assistant on the CONUNDRUM project. His research focuses on the developmental trajectories of small towns in Ireland, with particular attention to regional policy and spatial inequality. Within the team, he supports data analysis and visualisation through the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), contributing spatial insights to the project's wider goals.
Rudi O'Reilly Meehan
Rudi O'Reilly Meehan is founder and director of Data&Design, an award-winning Irish data visualisation studio. Rudi specialises in bringing data to life for the public and is doing so here by building the TownsMatter platform.