Mark joined QUT in 2004 following a long government career in road safety policy and research, with the Commonwealth, Victorian, South Australian and Queensland Governments.  He was awarded his PhD in 2005, for research on the development of an ecological model of the transfer of road safety knowledge and expertise to less motorised countries, which involved case studies in Thailand and Vietnam.  At CARRS-Q he has continued to pursue international road safety, chairing the International Development Committee, overseeing the move to offer the Road Safety Course internationally via distance education, and pursuing opportunities for funding of international research collaboration and capacity building.  In 2007 he won an Academy of Social Sciences in Australia Exchange with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences to pursue capacity building for road safety in China, with the exchange taking place in 2008.  Other areas of interest, current activity experience are given below (full biography).

Mark's main Australian research focus at present is the safety of older road users, a significant issue given the ageing of the Australian population.  He has conducted consultancies on the issue and was awarded a Queensland Health Trauma Grant in 2008 to study the involvement of vehicle and environmental features in crashes where older vehicle occupants have been injured.  He is also investigating on the implications for older car drivers of in-vehicle technologies and other intelligent transport systems (ITS), and the cognitive strategies used by older pedestrians.

Other research activities in which Mark is currently participating include: collaborative research led by the School of Optometry and involving external partners (Queensland Transport and Main Roads) on the visibility of pedestrians, cyclists and road workers (funded by an ARC grant); the strengths and weaknesses of sources of data on road crashes and related injuries (consultancy); safety of international visitors (grant); young driver licensing and safety (PhD students with partial grant coverage); and cycle safety (grant).  In recent years Mark has been involved in research and publications on pedestrian crossing behaviour, profiling of drink drivers, driving behaviour in 4WDs, fleet safety, and consumer choice of vehicles with safety features.  While in government, Mark conducted research into random breath testing, alcohol ignition interlocks, red light cameras, safe school travel, and motorcycle safety, and was involved in development of policies and programs on these issues and on drug driving, enforcement practices, mobile phone use while driving, driver training and licensing, alcohol rehabilitation programs for drink drivers, blood testing for alcohol, and driving while fatigued.

Mark is also the Course Coordinator of the Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma in Road Safety, and supervises a number of Masters and PhD students, both within the School and across Schools and Faculties.  He has participated in a number of government committees and takes an active role in the road safetyy research community in Australia.