Faculty Interview: Theresa J. Chirles
Theresa J. Chirles, PhD, MA is an Assistance Scientist at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, affiliated with the Department for Health Policy and Management. Dr. Chirles’ research interests include cognitive impairments, driving performance, roadway safety, route diversity, geriatric healthcare.
Theresa J. Chirles, PhD, MA is an Assistance Scientist at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, affiliated with the Department for Health Policy and Management. Dr. Chirles’ research interests include cognitive impairments, driving performance, roadway safety, route diversity, geriatric healthcare.
How did you get into the field of injury prevention?
TC: A fortunate series of events led me into the field of injury prevention. After years as a high school math teacher, I returned to school to get my PhD in Kinesiology, concentrating in Cognitive Motor Neuroscience. During my last year of studies I got married, had my first child, and wrote my dissertation. I didn't have much time to think about what I was going to do after I graduated. A professor friend forwarded an email she had received about a postdoctoral fellowship studying the neurophysiological biomarkers of hazard perception in young drivers with Dr. Johnathon Ehsani in the Injury Center. She wrote that she thought I would be a good fit and encouraged me to apply. The project incorporated many of my interests (physiology, neuroscience, learning, teenagers), so I applied, was accepted, and that started my journey into the field of injury prevention and transportation safety.
Tell us about an active project that you are currently working on.
TC: Many of the projects I work on now include an educational component. I am working with Dr. Jeff Michael to put on our third U.S. Safe System Academy that we present along with partners from Trafikverket, the Swedish Transport Administration; the Institute of Transportation Engineers; the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety; and the FIA Foundation. It is a delight to be a part of this is an intensive, 5-day workshop for road safety professionals, researchers, and practitioners to enhance their knowledge and skills in the Safe System approach to road safety. This approach recognizes that humans are physically vulnerable and make mistakes, and the system needs to accommodate human mistakes, limit crash severity, and proactively address risks.
For anyone interested, the Academy take place at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Center in Washington, DC, May 18-22, 2026. Registration link: https://cglink.me/2dh/r1981842. Scholarships are available, and JHU faculty and staff are eligible for tuition remission – just email tchirle1@jhmi.edu to start this benefit process.
Additionally, through funding from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, I am also doing a follow up on a cohort of teenagers we extensively studied during their learner driver period before getting a license. They are now young adults, and we will be extending the impact of the original study led by Dr. Johnathon Ehsani to examine how the amount, variety, and quality of learner driver training influence early independent-driving outcomes.
What do you like to do in your free time?
TC: Gardening is something I’ve enjoyed my whole life. One of my earliest memories is walking through my mom’s vegetable garden. In the next few weeks, I will be planting seeds collected from our community native species garden in my little deck greenhouse. My young boys and I helped design and plant the garden last year. I hope the seeds will germinate, and we can add more plants to the garden this spring.
What is your hidden talent?
TC: I love to dance. I grew up taking ballet, and as an adult I learned salsa, swing, and the waltz. When I was a high school teacher, I chaperoned a school service trip to El Salvador. A dance troupe came to entertain us one night, and one member of the troupe invited me to a dance off. It ended in a tie.
What is your favorite part about being affiliated with the Injury Center?
TC: My favorite part of being affiliated with the Injury Center is the people I get to work with on a regular basis and how impactful our work can be to reduce fatalities and serious injury.
What’s a fun fact about yourself that most people wouldn’t know?
TC: I taught home repair volunteers how to put on ondura roofs in Washington County, WV in the early 2000's.
Tell us about something you had to teach yourself recently.
TC: I researched how to replace the door sweep on our front door to prepare for winter.