Patricia Young

Dr. Patricia Young is an Assistant Professor of Engineering at Hawaii Pacific University (HPU), affiliated with the Department of Computer Science and Engineering within the College of Natural and Computational Sciences. She holds a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, an M.S. in Oceanography from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and a B.S. in Environmental Engineering from MIT.

Her research focuses on understanding human balance mechanisms, particularly in older adults, with an emphasis on preventing falls through neuromuscular rehabilitation and nonlinear dynamics analysis. She is establishing a motion analysis laboratory at HPU to advance this work. Dr. Young teaches courses including Introduction to Engineering Systems, Biomechanics, and Design Project I.

Prior to HPU, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, studying balance control in populations with and without fall histories. Her expertise bridges engineering, biomechanics, and clinical applications.