Belen is a public health researcher specialising in modelling health and health-related economic impacts of city planning and transport interventions. Belen was awarded an RMIT VC Postdoctoral Fellowship in 2019 and an Endeavour Postdoctoral Fellowship in 2017.
At RMIT, Belen co-leads the project Joining Impact models of transport with spatial measures of the Built Environment , funded by the UK Medical Research Council (UKRI) and the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). JIBE brings together research linking the built environment, transport and other health behaviours to develop computer models that can better inform urban and transport planning policy and practice in Australia and the UK. Belen also led the development of the THAT-Melbourne model, building on her PhD work and Endeavour fellowship at the University of Cambridge and now leads the methodological developments for THAT-Brisbane.
