Dr. Maria Oikonomou is a Civil Transportation Engineer, PhD Candidate and Research Associate at the Department of Transportation Planning and Engineering at the School of Civil Engineering of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA). She holds a Civil Engineering Diploma (Integrated Master) from NTUA, specialising in Transportation Engineering (2019). In 2026, she successfully defended her PhD thesis at NTUA, titled: “Multilevel crash risk assessment under autonomous vehicle integration: From partial to full autonomy through urban traffic simulation”. She has more than six years of experience in traffic engineering, autonomous vehicles, traffic simulation, driver behaviour and road safety. She has participated in three research projects assigned by the European Commission and, to date (July 2026), has authored forty-five scientific papers published in scientific journals and peer-reviewed conference proceedings.

Specialization Areas

  • Traffic Simulation
  • Autonomous Vehicles
  • Road Safety
  • Traffic Management
  • Driver Behaviour

Education

  • Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), at the Department of Transportation Planning and Engineering at the School of Civil Engineering of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Athens, Greece (2021 – 2026)
    • Thesis: Multilevel crash risk assessment under autonomous vehicle integration: From partial to full autonomy through urban traffic simulation
  • Diploma of Civil Engineering, at the school of Civil Engineering of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Athens, Greece (5-year degree) (2014-2019)
    • Graduation Grade: 7,68/10
    • Specialization: Transportation Engineering (Integrated Master)
    • Thesis: The traffic and safety effect of smartphone texting and web surfing during driving in cities using a driving simulator

Research Projects

Participation in three (3) research projects in the field of Transportation Planning and Engineering, assigned by the European Commission:

  • “PHOEBE”: “Predictive Approaches For Safer Urban Environments” of the Horizon Europe framework programme on transport research of the European Commission
  • “SHOW”: “SHared automation Operating models for Worldwide adoption” of the Horizons 2020 framework programme on transport research of the European Commission
  • “LEVITATE”: stands for “Societal Level Impacts of Connected and Automated Vehicles” of the Horizon 2020 framework programme on transport research of the European Commission

Additional Professional Experience

    • Traffic impact assessment study for the central port of Chios
    • carried out for Intermunicipal Port Office of Chios (2025)
      • Activities: Assessment of traffic impacts using simulation modeling; preparation of the traffic impact assessment report
  • Standard Traffic and parking regulation in the center of Athens, carried out for the Municipality of Athens (2019 – 2021)
      • Activities: Traffic Impact Assessment using macro and micro simulation model
  • Technical training through the School of Civil Engineering of NTUA at Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority, Sector of Technical Services (06/2019 – 08/2019)
    • Activities: Design of airport facilities, Master Plans control and approval of Greek airports

Teaching Experience

  • Supervising Assistant in six (6) Diploma Thesis at the School of Civil Engineering of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) (2020 – ongoing)

Publications

At the present time (July 2026) forty-five (45) scientific papers have been published (or have been accepted for publication):

  • 15 paper in scientific journals with peer review
  • 1 book chapter publication with peer/editorial review
  • 27 papers in scientific conference proceedings (full papers with review)
  • 2 papers in scientific conferences (with abstract review and poster/presentation)

Publications in scientific journals with peer review

  1. Oikonomou M., Yannis G., “Crash risk factors in the evolution from conventional to fully automated vehicles in urban environments”. Case Studies on Transport Policy, Volume 25, 2026. DOI: 1016/j.cstp.2026.101866
  2. Oikonomou M., Yannis G., “Spatial dynamics of crash hotspots under autonomous vehicle adoption scenarios”. Accident Analysis & Prevention, Volume 233, 2026. DOI: 1016/j.aap.2026.108562
  3. Sekadakis M., Oikonomou M., Yannis G., “Safety effects of take-over requests on vehicle conflicts in realistic mixed traffic simulation”. Accident Analysis & Prevention, Volume 232, 2026. DOI: 1016/j.aap.2026.108520
  4. Oikonomou M., Ziakopoulos A., Yannis G., “Advancing traffic microsimulation: a systematic review of parameter selection for connected and autonomous vehicles”. Journal of Simulation, 1–38, 2025. DOI:10.1080/17477778.2025.2544570
  5. Oikonomou M., Yannis G., “Validating traffic simulation for crash risk assessment using field crash data”, Journal of Safety Research, Volume 94, Pages 24-34, ISSN 0022-4375, 2025. DOI:10.1016/j.jsr.2025.06.002
  6. Sekadakis M., Sousouni M. I., Garefalakis T., Oikonomou M., Ziakopoulos A., & Yannis G., “Evaluating the Environmental and Safety Impacts of Eco-Driving in Urban and Highway Environments”. Sustainability, 17(6), 2762, 2025. DOI: 10.3390/su17062762
  7. Oikonomou M., Sekadakis M., Katrakazas C., & Yannis G., “Analyzing the safety effects of different operating speeds for an autonomous shuttle bus service”. Traffic Safety Research, 9, e000089, 2025. DOI: 10.55329/beui4479
  8. Oikonomou M., Orfanou F., Sekadakis M., Pavlou D., & Yannis G., “Examining the effects of texting, web surfing, and navigating apps on urban driving behavior and crash risk”. Traffic Safety Research, 9, e000087, 2025. DOI: 10.55329/wiwt2358
  9. Antonakaki A., Oikonomou M. Garefalakis T., & Yannis G., “Driving Automation Systems Penetration and Traffic Safety: Implications for Infrastructure Design and Policy”. Infrastructures, 9(12), 234, 2024. DOI:10.3390/infrastructures9120234
  10. Ziakopoulos A., Oikonomou M., Sekadakis M., Yannis G., “Safety evaluation via conflict classification during automated shuttle bus service operations”. European Transport Research Review, 16, 38, 2024. DOI: 10.1186/s12544-024-00653-1
  11. Oikonomou M., Ziakopoulos A., Chaudhry A., Thomas P., Yannis G., “From conflicts to crashes: Simulating macroscopic connected and automated driving vehicle safety”. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 187, 107087, 2023. DOI:10.1016/j.aap.2023.107087
  12. Sekadakis M., Katrakazas C., Orfanou F., Pavlou D., Oikonomou M., Yannis G., “Impact of texting and web-surfing on driving behavior and safety in rural roads”. International Journal of Transportation Science and Technology, 2023. DOI: 1016/j.ijtst.2022.06.001
  13. Tympakianaki A., Nogues L., Casas J., Brackstone M., Oikonomou M., Vlahogianni E., Djukic T., Yannis G., “Autonomous Vehicles in Urban Networks: A simulation-based Assessment”. Transportation Research Record, 2022. DOI: 1177/03611981221090507
  14. Mourtakos V., Oikonomou M., Kopelias P., Vlahogianni E., Yannis G., “Impacts of autonomous on-demand mobility service: A simulation experiment in the City of Athens”. Transportation Letters, 2021. DOI: 10.1080/19427867.2021.2000571
  15. Ziakopoulos A., Oikonomou M., Vlahogianni E., Yannis G., “Quantifying the implementation impacts of a point to point Automated Urban Shuttle Service in a large scale network”. Transport Policy, Volume 114, Pages 233-244, 2021. DOI: 10.1016/j.tranpol.2021.10.006

Book chapter publications with peer/editorial review

  1. Oikonomou M., Sekadakis M., Ziakopoulos A., Tengg A. & Yannis G., “Integrated traffic simulation developer suite for shared automated mobility”. In: Cornet, H., Gkemou, M. (eds) Shared Mobility Revolution. Lecture Notes in Mobility. Springer, Cham, 2025. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-71793-2_13

Publications in scientific conference proceedings (full papers with review)

  1. Roussou S., Ziakopoulos A., Oikonomou M., Chaundry A., Kalantari A. H., Lucchesi S., Afghari A. P., Yannis G., “Using the impact modification factor to link road safety and environmental performance under the Safe System approach”. Road Safety and Simulation International Conference (RSS), Napoli, Italy, June 23-26, 2026
  2. Sekadakis M., Oikonomou M., Ziakopoulos A., Yannis, G., “Predicting Conflict Severity and Safety Impacts of Automated Vehicles in Simulated Urban Networks”. 11th Transport Research Arena (TRA) Conference 2026, Budapest, Hungary, May 18-21, 2026
  3. Chaudhry A., Kalantari A. H., Sala M., Putatunda A., Lucchesi S., Ziakopoulos A., Oikonomou M., Roussou S., Papadimitriou E., Chapman S., Pérez-Zuriaga A. M., Tympakianaki A., Afghari A. P., “Towards an integrated and scalable framework for dynamic road safety assessment”. Transportation Research Board (TRB) 105th Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C., January 11-15, 2026
  4. Oikonomou M., Paschalidis I., Sekadakis M., Garefalakis T., Yannis G., “Effects of Fatigue on Driver Behavior in Urban and Highway Environments Using a Driving Simulator”. 12th International Congress on Transportation Research (ICTR), Thessaloniki, Greece, October 16-18, 2025
  5. Oikonomou M., Yannis G., “Validation Analysis of Traffic Simulation Safety Metrics with Real-World Crash Data”. Transportation Research Board (TRB) 104th Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C., January 5–9, 2025
  6. Oikonomou M., Ziakopoulos A., Lucchesi S., Olyslagers M., Yannis G., “Traffic simulation and safety assessment requirements for enhancing road safety prediction tools”. 10th Transport Research Arena (TRA) Conference 2024, Dublin, Ireland, April 15-18, 2024. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-85578-8_109
  7. Ziakopoulos A., Oikonomou M., Sekadakis M., Yannis G., “Safety evaluation of conflict classification for automated shuttle bus services operation”. 10th Transport Research Arena (TRA) Conference 2024, Dublin, Ireland, April 15-18, 2024
  8. Roussou S., Ziakopoulos A., Oikonomou M., Yannis G., “Measuring Vulnerable Road User Volumes After Mobility Interventions in the Metropolitan Center of Athens”. 10th Transport Research Arena (TRA) Conference 2024, Dublin, Ireland, April 15-18, 2024. DOI: 1007/978-3-031-88974-5_123
  9. Petraki V., Ziakopoulos A., Oikonomou M., Roussou S., Yannis G., “Bicycle traffic analysis before and after mobility interventions using crowdsourced data”. 10th Transport Research Arena (TRA) Conference 2024, Dublin, Ireland, April 15-18, 2024. DOI: 1007/978-3-031-89444-2_54
  10. Oikonomou M., Ziakopoulos A., Yannis G., “Implementing traffic simulation for road safety assessment: A systematic literature review”. 11th International Congress on Transportation Research (ICTR), Heraklion, Greece, 22-23 September 2023
  11. Oikonomou M., Sekadakis M., Katrakazas C., Goñi A. A., Lattarulo A. R., Yannis G., “Impacts of automated driving vehicles on bus depot operation using naturalistic data”. 11th International Congress on Transportation Research (ICTR), Heraklion, Greece, 22-23 September 2023
  12. Chaudhry A., Haouari R., Papazikou E., Sha H., Singh, M. K., Roussou J., Oikonomou M., Ziakopoulos A., Zach M., Thomas P., Quddus M., Morris A., Yannis G., “Societal Level Impacts of Connected and Automated Vehicles”. Transportation Research Board (TRB) 102nd Annual Meeting 2023, Washington, D.C., 08-12 January 2023
  13. Oikonomou M., Sekadakis M., Katrakazas C., Yannis G., “Safety impacts of autonomous shuttle bus with different operational speeds towards increasing market penetration rate of connected and automated vehicles”. Transportation Research Board (TRB) 102nd Annual Meeting 2023, Washington, D.C., 08-12 January 2023
  14. Yannis G., Oikonomou M., Papatzikou E., Petraki V., Chaziris A., Vlahogianni E., Papadakos P., “Traffic impacts of innovative traffic and parking arrangements in Athens, Greece”. 9th Transport Research Arena (TRA) Conference 2022, Lisbon, Portugal, November 14-17, 2022. DOI: 10.1016/j.trpro.2023.11.566
  15. Adam M.P., Oikonomou M., Papantoniou P., Pnevmatikou N., “Investigating the effect of trucks on traffic conditions of a motorway”. 9th Transport Research Arena (TRA) Conference 2022, Lisbon, Portugal, November 14-17, 2022. DOI: 10.1016/j.trpro.2023.11.865
  16. Hu B., Ponweiser W., Ziakopoulos A., Roussou J., Chaudhry A., Oikonomou M., Gebhard S., De Zwart R., Goldenbeld C., Schermers G., Weijermars W., Veisten K., Hartveit K.J., Brackstone, M., Thomas P., Yannis G., “The impacts of automated urban delivery and consolidation”. 9th Transport Research Arena (TRA) Conference 2022, Lisbon, Portugal, November 14-17, 2022. DOI: 10.1016/j.trpro.2023.11.766
  17. Ziakopoulos A., Roussou J., Chaudhry A., Hu B., Zach M., Oikonomou M., Veisten K., Hartveit K.J., Brackstone, M., Vlahogianni E., Thomas P., Yannis G., “The LEVITATE Policy Support Tool of Connected and Automated Transport Systems”. 9th Transport Research Arena (TRA) Conference 2022, Lisbon, Portugal, November 14-17, 2022. DOI: 10.1016/j.trpro.2023.11.566
  18. Oikonomou M., Sekadakis M., Katrakazas C., Hillebrand J., Vlahogianni E., Yannis G., “Traffic & environmental impact assessment under distinct operational speeds for automated shuttle bus services”. 9th Transport Research Arena (TRA) Conference 2022, Lisbon, Portugal, November 14-17, 2022. DOI: 10.1016/j.trpro.2023.11.434
  19. Ziakopoulos A., Roussou J., Chaudhry A., Boghani H., Hu B., Zach M., Oikonomou M., Veisten K., Hartveit K.J., Vlahogianni E., Thomas P., Yannis G., “Methodological framework of creating the Levitate Policy Support Tool for Connected and Automated Transport Systems”. 8th Road Safety & Simulation (RSS) International Conference, Athens, Greece, 8-10 June 2022
  20. Tympakianaki A., Nogues L., Casas J., Brackstone M., Oikonomou M., Vlahogianni E., Djukic T., Yannis G., “Autonomous Vehicles in Urban Networks: A simulation-based Assessment”. Transportation Research Board (TRB) 101st Annual Meeting 2022, Washington, D.C., 9-13 January 2022
  21. Gasparinatou C., Oikonomou M., Tympakianaki A., Casas J., Djukic T., Vlahogianni E., Yannis G., “Passenger Car Unit Values of Connected Autonomous Vehicles in Urban Road Networks”. Transportation Research Board (TRB) 101st Annual Meeting 2022, Washington, D.C., 9-13 January 2022
  22. Yannis G., Gonidi C., Petraki V., Papatzikou E., Oikonomou M., Chaziris A., Papantoniou P., Vlahogianni E., Papadakos P., “Traffic impact assessment of the pilot implementation of Athens Great Walk”. 10th International Congress on Transportation Research (ICTR), Rhodes, Greece, 2-3 September 2021
  23. Yannis G., Vlahogianni E., Papatzikou E., Papadakos P., Oikonomou M., “Traffic Impact Assessment of Innovative Traffic and Parking Measures in the Center of Athens”. 10th International Congress on Transportation Research (ICTR), Rhodes, Greece, 2-3 September 2021
  24. Ziakopoulos A., Roussou J., Boghani H., Hu B., Zach M., Veisten K., Hartveit K.J., Oikonomou M., Vlahogianni E., Thomas P., Yannis G., “Forecasting impacts of Connected and Automated Transport Systems within the Levitate project”. 10th International Congress on Transportation Research (ICTR), Rhodes, Greece, 2-3 September 2021
  25. Oikonomou M., Mourtakos V., Roussou J., Ziakopoulos A., Vlahogianni E., Yannis G., “Impacts of autonomous transit services on urban networks: The case of Athens, Greece”. 10th International Congress on Transportation Research (ICTR), Rhodes, Greece, 2-3 September 2021
  26. Oikonomou M., Sekadakis M., Katrakazas C., Ziakopoulos A., Vlahogianni E., Yannis, G., “Identifying KPIs for the safety assessment of autonomous vehicles through traffic microsimulation”. 10th International Congress on Transportation Research (ICTR), Rhodes, Greece, 2-3 September 2021
  27. Oikonomou M., Orfanou F., Vlahogianni E., Yannis G., “Impacts of Autonomous Shuttle Services on Traffic, Safety and Environment for Future Mobility Scenarios”. 23rd IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITSC), virtual, Greece, 20-23 September 2020. DOI: 10.1109/ITSC45102.2020.9294576

Publications in scientific conferences (with abstract review and poster/presentation)

  1. Oikonomou M., Ziakopoulos A., Sekadakis M., Yannis G. “Correlations of automated mobility conditions with traffic conflict types”. Intelligent Systems and Consciousness Society (ITS) International Conference, Patras, Greece, 2-3 November 2023
  2. Oikonomou M., Pavlou D., Yannis G., “The traffic and safety effect of smartphone texting and web surfing during driving in cities: A driving simulator study”. 7th International Conference on Driver Distraction and Inattention (DDI), online, 18-20 October 2021

Presentations in scientific conferences and seminars

    1. Sekadakis M., Ziakopoulos A., Oikonomou M., Yannis, G., “Impacts of Automated Shuttles on Traffic Safety: Findings from the SHOW project”. ECTRI Road Safety Thematic Group Meeting: Athens, Greece, 27 November 2024
    2. Sekadakis M., Oikonomou M., Ziakopoulos A., Yannis, G., “SHOW Simulation Suite” at the SHOW Final Event, Tampere, 26 September 2024
    3. Ziakopoulos A., Oikonomou M., Roussou S., Yannis, G., “Overview of the PHOEBE Project: Use cases and methodology”at the ECTRI Road Safety Thematic Group Online Meeting, February 23, 2024
    4. Oikonomou M., Sekadakis M., Ziakopoulos A., Katrakazas C., Yannis, G., “Shared Automation Operating Models for Worldwide Adoption – SHOW”. Road Safety Research Challenges Workshop, NTUA, Athens, Greece, 19 May 2023
    5. Ziakopoulos A., Oikonomou M., Roussou S., Yannis G., “Predictive Approaches for Safer Urban Environments – PHOEBE”. Road Safety Research Challenges Workshop, NTUA, Athens, Greece, 19 May 2023
    6. Oikonomou M., Ziakopoulos A., Yannis, G., “Telematics, microsimulation and road safety assessment requirements for the enhancement of analytic tools – PHOEBE”. Telematics and Driver Behaviour Workshop, NTUA, Athens, Greece, 4 April 2023
    7. Yannis G., Ziakopoulos A., Oikonomou M., Roussou J., “Policy Support Tools for Connected and Automated Mobility”. 8th ITS Hellas Workshop, Athens, 7-8 December 2022
    8. Ziakopoulos, A., Oikonomou M., Roussou, J., Yannis, G., “The Levitate Connected and Automated Transport Systems Policy Support Tool”. POLIS Conference, Gothenburg, Sweden, 1-2 December 2021
    9. Ziakopoulos, A., Oikonomou M., Roussou, J., Yannis, G., “Forecasting impacts of Connected and Automated Transport Systems within the LEVITATE project”. ITS World Congress, Hamburg, Germany, 11-15 October 2021
    10. Katrakazas C., Sekadakis M., Oikonomou M., Yannis, G., “Shared Automation Operating Models for Worldwide Adoption – SHOW”. Innovation in Road Safety Research Workshop, NTUA, Athens, Greece, 20 May 2021
    11. Roussou, J., Ziakopoulos, A., Oikonomou M., Yannis, G., “Societal Level Impacts of Connected and Automated Vehicles”. Innovation in Road Safety Research Workshop, NTUA, Athens, Greece, 20 May 2021
    12. Mavromatis S., Ziakopoulos A., Roussou J., Oikonomou M., Vlahogianni E., Yannis G., “Automation and Public Transport”, Internet of Things (IoT) for Smart Cities School, online, 21 October 2020
    13. Yannis G., Vlahogianni E., Papatzikou E., Papantoniou P., Oikonomou M., Michelaraki E., Gonidi C., Petraki V., “The COVID-19 crisis as an opportunity for new mobility models: Athens Great Walk”. International Multidisciplinary Traffic Safety Virtual Conference, organised by the Hellenic Association of Driving Instructors together with Key Transportation Organisations in Greece, online, 29-30 May 2020

Invited reviewer of papers

Scientific journals

  • Accident Analysis & Prevention
  • Automatika
  • Data Science for Transportation
  • Reliability Engineering & System Safety
  • Research in Transportation Business & Management
  • Scientific Reports
  • Sustainable Futures
  • Traffic Injury Prevention
  • Traffic Safety Research
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Transportation Safety and Environment
  • Transportation Science and Technology

Scientific conferences

  • Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting (TRB)
  • IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITSC)
  • Road Safety & Simulation International Conference (RSS)

Languages

  • Greek (Native Language)
  • English
  • German

Distinctions and Awards

  • Publication award “D. Thomaidi” 2024 of NTUA: Awarded funding by the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) for the paper “Driving Automation Systems Penetration and Traffic Safety: Implications for Infrastructure Design and Policy”, published in Infrastructures in 2024.
  • Publication award “D. Thomaidi” 2023 of NTUA: Awarded funding by the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) for the paper “From conflicts to crashes: Simulating macroscopic connected and automated driving vehicle safety”, published in Accident Analysis and Prevention Journal in 2023.
  • HFRI Scholarships to PhD Candidates 2022: Awarded funding by the Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation (HFRI) in the “Engineering Sciences & Technology” scientific area as part of the 4th Call for HFRI Scholarships for Ph.D. Candidates.
  • Publication award “D. Thomaidi” 2022 of NTUA: Awarded funding by the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) for the paper “Autonomous Vehicles in Urban Networks: A Simulation-Based Assessment”, published in Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board in 2022.
  • Publication award “D. Thomaidi” 2021 of NTUA: Awarded funding by the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) for the paper “Quantifying the Implementation Impacts of a Point-to-Point Automated Urban Shuttle Service in a Large-Scale Network”, published in Journal of Transport Policy in 2021.
  • Publication award “D. Thomaidi” 2020 of NTUA: Awarded funding by the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) for the paper “Impacts of Autonomous Shuttle Services on Traffic, Safety, and Environment for Future Mobility Scenarios”, presented in the proceedings of the 23rd IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITSC) in 2020.

Affiliations

  • Member of the Technical Chamber of Greece

Technical Skills

  • Windows Environments and Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access
  • Drawing and Designing Software: Autodesk AutoCAD, Autodesk Civil3D, Autodesk InfraWorks, ArcGIS, Tekla BIMsight
  • Transport Modelling Programs: AIMSUN, Synchro 10
  • Airport Pavement Design Programs: COMFAA
  • Programming: Matlab, Pyzo – Python
  • Statistical Analysis Software: SPSS, R, R-studio

Interests

  • Piano
  • Painting

Contact

National Technical University of Athens,

School of Civil Engineering,

Department of Transportation Planning and Engineering

5, Iroon Polytechneiou Str., 15773, Athens

Phone: +30 210.7721575

E-mail: moikonomou@mail.ntua.gr