Bright Spark Lectures: International Conference on Geotechnical Engineering, Colombo, August 2026
Jing Chen, Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Transport Research Centre, University of Technology Sydney, Australia
Bright Spark Lecture title: “Rubber–Geogrid Reinforcement of Railway Ballast under Impact Loads: Experiments and Numerical Modelling”
Dr. Jing Chen received her Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering from Wuhan University, China, in 2016, followed by a PhD in Geotechnical Engineering from the same university in 2022, including joint doctoral research at the University of Wollongong, Australia. Her research focuses on the mechanical behaviour and degradation mechanisms of railway foundations under repeated train loading, combining laboratory experiments with advanced numerical modelling techniques, while main research interests include computational geotechnics, granular materials, railway ballast degradation, and the development of sustainable, low-carbon solutions for resilient transport infrastructure. Dr. Chen has authored and co-authored more than 25 peer-reviewed journal papers, many published in leading international journals in geotechnical engineering, computational geomechanics, and transportation engineering. Her research contributions have been recognised through several prestigious awards, including the 2025 John Carter Award at the 17th IACMAG and the 2024 SMEC Award for Computational Advancement with Industry Impact. She has also received the Aurecon Best Paper Award at the 5th International Conference on Transportation Geotechnics in 2024. In addition to research activities, Dr. Chen contributes to the academic community through journal reviewing, editorial service, research supervision, and mentoring postgraduate and undergraduate students. Her work aims to advance fundamental understanding of geomaterials and translate scientific findings into innovative, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable solutions for railway and transport infrastructure.