Dr Aoife Hunt is a leading specialist in people movement and emergency planning. She has 15 years’ experience in the research and simulation of human behaviour and completed an award-winning PhD in evacuation modelling. Aoife advises on the movements and behaviour of people in tall buildings, hospitals, stadia and events, the public realm, and transport systems across the world. She leads national research projects to advance the safety and security of crowded places, specialising in human behaviour in emergencies and pedestrian movement through security overlays. Aoife is regularly consulted on national guidance documents and is currently co-authoring the chapter on evacuation modelling in the SFPE Fire Engineering handbook. Aoife is co-chair of the Security Institute’s Special Interest Group: “Protecting People in Crowded Spaces” and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Maryland. In 2023, Aoife was awarded an MBE for her services to the COVID-19 response.