Dr. Gillen graduated in 1975 from the University of Toronto with a Ph.D in Economics. He currently holds the positions of YVR Professor of Transportation Policy in the Sauder School of Business and Director Centre for Transportation Studies, University of British Columbia. In addition he is Research Economist at the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. He has held teaching and research positions at the University of Alberta, Wilfrid Laurier University and Queen’s University as well as Adjunct Professor of Economics at the University of Western Ontario and Adjunct Professor of Engineering and Environment and Planning at the University of Waterloo.

Dr. Gillen has published over 100 books, technical reports, journal papers, conference presentations, and other articles in various areas of transportation economics, including airline competition and industry structure, airport economics and noise externalities, and transportation policy in Canada and the United States. His current research includes evaluating investment in Intelligent Transportation Systems, pricing and auction mechanisms roadways and runways, the impact of taxation and user charges on firm competitiveness,
differing rules and mechanisms for allocating revenues and costs across  different users, measuring performance of transportation infrastructure, vertical contracts in aviation and evolving strategies and business models in airlines and airports.