Jingwen Hu

Jingwen Hu serves as a Research Professor at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) with a joint appointment in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. His work bridges engineering and biomechanics to advance vehicle safety systems.

His educational qualifications include:

• Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering, Wayne State University (2007)
• M.S. in Automotive Engineering, Tsinghua University (2003)
• B.S. in Automotive Engineering, Tsinghua University (2000)

Dr. Hu specializes in developing parametric computational human models to analyze injury mechanisms across diverse populations. His research integrates experimental testing, computational modeling, and epidemiological data to address safety challenges for vulnerable road users including children, elderly, obese occupants, and pregnant women. Key focus areas include restraint system optimization for rear-seat passengers, adaptive safety designs for automated vehicles, and pedestrian protection systems.

His scientific contributions have earned three Best Paper Awards (2013, 2015, 2015), the UMTRI Research Excellence Award (2016), and the Research Faculty Achievement Award (2017).

Dr. Hu has secured substantial funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institute of Justice (NIJ), U.S. Army TARDEC, and major automotive manufacturers including Ford, GM, Toyota, and Honda. His media presence spans NBC News, The New York Times, Forbes, and Scientific American, where his research on rear-seat safety, SUV pedestrian risks, and advanced crash dummies has influenced public discourse.

As part of UMTRI's Biosciences Group, he leads research translating biomechanical insights into real-world safety innovations featured in outlets like Consumer Reports and BBC.