Kathleen Klinich

Kathleen Klinich, Ph.D., is a Research Scientist and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Lead at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI). With 35 years of expertise in occupant protection, her work focuses on vulnerable populations such as children, pregnant women, and individuals with disabilities. She specializes in crash data analysis, experimental testing, and computational modeling to develop injury prevention strategies.

Dr. Klinich has led or collaborated on over 60 projects at UMTRI, emphasizing project management, technical writing, and quality assurance. She developed UMTRI’s 508 Compliance Plan and has served as a technical editor on major projects. Her research addresses emerging trends in automated vehicles and socioeconomic factors influencing injury patterns.

Her research interests span wheelchair transportation safety, pediatric safety, and inclusive design for automated vehicles. Key achievements include pioneering wheelchair crashworthiness testing and advocating for accessibility standards in vehicle design.

Notable awards include recognition in University of Michigan faculty awards and OVPR honors. Over 150 articles detail her work on topics like child restraint systems, placental biomechanics in pregnant occupants, and automated restraint technologies.

Labs/Teams: Part of the Biosciences Group at UMTRI, collaborating with industry partners and academic institutions to advance transportation safety for marginalized groups.