Jihao Deng is an Assistant Professor at the Maglev Transportation Engineering R&D Center, Tongji University. His research focuses on high-speed maglev system planning and intelligent maintenance of track systems, deep sensing of travel behavior, and intelligent regulation of transportation demand. His future work will concentrate on the demand potential and applicability boundaries of high-speed maglev in integrated transportation corridors, as well as intelligent sensing, condition assessment, and maintenance decision-making for maglev track systems under complex service environments. In 2025, he was awarded funding under the Pujiang Project (Category A) of the Shanghai Magnolia Talent Program. In recent years, he has published 27 academic papers, contributed to the textbookIntroduction to Maglev Transportation Systems, and was responsible for writing Chapter 6, “Maglev Line and Track Systems.” He also serves as a reviewer for journals includingNature Cities,Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment,Journal of Transport Geography,Travel Behaviour and Society, Transportation, andTransportmetrica B: Transport Dynamics.
Undergraduate and graduate students with backgrounds in transportation engineering, data science, artificial intelligence, computer science, mathematics, and statistics are warmly welcome to join the research team. I hope you are self-motivated, possess a solid mathematical foundation, have strong English proficiency, and maintain a sustained interest in emerging hardware technologies and advanced artificial intelligence. I believe we can grow together, and that this journey will be a rewarding one.
Educational background
B.Eng.: Sep. 2014 – Jun. 2018
School of Traffic and Transportation, Beijing Jiaotong University
Major in Traffic Engineering
Ph.D.: Sep. 2018 – Jan. 2024
College of Transportation Engineering, Tongji University
Major in Transportation Engineering
Joint Ph.D.Program: Jul. 2022 – Dec. 2023
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Waterloo, Canada
Work experience
Jan. 2024 – Feb. 2025
Postdoctoral Researcher, Institute of Transportation Studies, Faculty of Civil and Mineral Engineering, University of Toronto, Canada
Mar. 2025 – Feb. 2026
Research Assistant, Maglev Transportation Engineering R&D Center, Tongji University
Mar. 2026 – Present
Assistant Professor, Maglev Transportation Engineering R&D Center, Tongji University
Research interests
(a)Demand identification and supply-demand coordination methods for the integration of high-speed maglev into comprehensive transportation corridors;
(b) Intelligent monitoring, diagnosis, maintenance, and operational technologies for maglev track geometry, structural condition, and surface damage;
(c) Travel behavior modeling and demand regulation methods based on multi-source big data.
Honors & Awards
(1) Lu’an—A Pioneer in Traffic Safety Based on Vehicle–Road Collaboration, Ministry of Education, Bronze Award, 2023 China International College Students’ Innovation Competition (Ranked 2/10)
(2) Research on Investigating Vehicle Trip Adjustability and Ways to Adjust based on
Individual Behavioral Characteristics, Beijing Society of Traffic Engineering, 6th National Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation in Transportation Engineering (Ranked 1/1)
Publications
(1) Liao, C.,Deng, J. (co-first author), Chen, X.M., and Yuan, Q. (2026). Optimizing electric vehicle charging patterns and infrastructure for grid decarbonization.Communications Sustainability, 1, 43.
(2)Deng, J., Li, T., Yang, Z., Yuan, Q.*, and Chen, X. (2026). Understanding Passenger Vehicle’s Route Choice Behavior in Metropolitan Areas: A Random Parameters Multinomial Logit Model Considering Mean-Variance Heterogeneity,International Journal of Transportation Science and Technology. (In Press)
(3)Deng, J., Li, T., Yang, Z., Yuan, Q.*, and Chen, X. (2025). Heterogeneity in Route Choice during Peak Hours: Implications on Travel Demand Management,Travel Behaviour and Society, 38.
(4)Deng, J.*, Yuan, Q., Liu, B., & Chen, X. (2025). Managing urban freight electrification: spatial insights into battery electric truck delivery demand.International Journal of Digital Earth, 18(2).
(5)Deng, J., Yang, Y., Li, T., Gao, L.*, Bachmann, C., and Chen, X. (2025). Unveiling Route Choice Preferences and Classifying Travelers Based on Distinct Travel Patterns Using Trajectory Data,Case Studies on Transport Policy, 19.
(6)Deng, J., Chen, X., and Yuan, Q.* (2024). Electric Vehicle Drivers’ Choices of Expressway Usage and Peak Avoidance: An Empirical Analysis Considering the Random Effects among Individuals,Transportation Planning and Technology, 1-28.
(7)Deng, J., Gao, L., Chen, X., and Yuan, Q.* (2023). Taking the same route every day? An empirical investigation of commuting route stability using personal electric vehicle trajectory data,Transportation, 51, 1547–1573.
(8)Deng, J., Chen, P., Chen, X., Li, T., and Yuan, Q.* (2023). Financial Sustainability versus Social Equity: Design and Performance of a Hybrid City Bus System,Journal of Public Transportation, 25.
(9)Deng, J., Cui, Y., Chen, X., Bachmann, C., and Yuan, Q.* (2023). Who are on the road? A study on vehicle usage characteristics based on one-week vehicle trajectory data,International Journal of Digital Earth, 16(1), 1962–1984.
(10)Deng, J., Song, R., Chen, X.*, Wang, T., and Wang, B. (2020). Integrated design of feeder bus stops and route networks for open residential communities.Journal of Beijing Jiaotong University, 44(1), 34–41. (In Chinese)
(11) Chen, P., andDeng, J.*(2020). Integrating Affordable Housing with Transit: Where Are the Transit Deserts?Findings.
(12) Liu, Y., Xiao, T.,Deng, J., Li, T., Yang, L., and Yuan, Q.* (2024). Heterogeneous impacts of the built environment on survival of customized bus services across the downtown and suburbs.Journal of Transport Geography, 118.
(13) Ye, J., Gao, L.*, andDeng, J.(2024). Identifying the Key Factors of Intermodal Travel Using Interpretative Ensemble Learning,International Journal of Transportation Science and Technology, 19, 223-239.
(14) Yang, Z., Chen, X.,Deng, J., Li, T., and Yuan, Q.* (2023). Footprints of goods movements: Spatial heterogeneity of heavy-duty truck activities and its influencing factors in the urban context,Journal of Transport Geography, 113.