Liyuan Zhao is currently a professor at the school of urban planning and architecture of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China. She received her jointed Ph.D in urban and regional planning from University of Florida, U.S. and in transportation planning and management from Southwest Jiaotong University (SWJT), China. Her research interests include integrated land use and transportation modeling, transit oriented development, urban planning technologies, and urban health. She has authored several publications in top journals in urban planning and transportation, including Transport Geography, Transport Policy, Journal of Urban Planning and Development, International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, and Journal of Transportation Research Record.