Professional Biography
Dr. Doug Powell is a Senior Biomechanist at YA Group. He has extensive experience in the area of injury biomechanics, treatment and rehabilitation. His experience includes sport-related injury, motor vehicle collisions, slip/trip and fall events, traumatic brain injury, spine injury and fixation, and injuries to infants (such as shaken baby syndrome). Dr. Powell has provided written and oral testimony in both civil and criminal cases.
Reach out to Dr. Doug Powell for his expertise on your next project.
Credentials & Certifications
- Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS)
- Tactical Strength & Conditioning Facilitator (TSAC-F)
Representative Consulting Assignments
- Vehicle Collision Analysis — Investigation and analysis of single and multi-vehicle crashes involving passenger vehicle, motorcycle, bicycle and heavy trucks.
- Injury Potential Analysis — Biomechanical evaluation to determine human body motions and loading and how they compare to established injury tolerance thresholds.
- Evaluation of Child Abuse — Biomechanical evaluation to determine the likelihood an injury is the result of child abuse including shaken baby syndrome.
- Seatbelt Use Analysis — Determination of whether a seatbelt was being worn and how seatbelt use influenced injury outcomes.
- Site Mapping and Visual Recreation — Use photography, drones, laser scanners, and hand measurements to document accident sites for accurate reconstruction and graphics.
Professional Experience
- Senior Managing Biomechanist | YA Group | 2026 - Current
- Senior Biomechanist | YA Engineering Services | 2024 - 2026
- Assistant / Associate Professor of Biomechanics | University of Memphis | 2016 - 2024
- Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy | Campbell University | 2013 - 2016
- Assistant Professor of Kinesiology | Fairmont State University | 2011 - 2013
- Research Fellow of Physical Therapy | Creighton University | 2009 - 2011
- Assistant Professor of Kinesiology | University of Texas of the Permian Basin | 2007 - 2009
Education
- PhD, Biomechanics and Sports Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee
- Master of Science, Biomedical Engineering, University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee
- Master of Arts, Biomechanics, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina
- Bachelor of Science, Exercise Physiology, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina
Training Courses
- Applying Automotive EDR Data to Traffic Crash Reconstruction, SAE International
- Vehicle Crash Reconstruction Principles and Technology, SAE International
- Fundamentals of Vehicle Dynamics, SAE International
- Driver Distraction from Electronic Devices: Insights and Implications, SAE International
- Injuries, Anatomy, Biomechanics & Federal Regulation, SAE International
- Fundamentals of Automotive All-Wheel Drive Systems, SAE International
- Introduction to Brake Control Systems, SAE International
Affiliations
- American College of Sports Medicine (Fellow)
- American Society for Biomechanics
- German Society for Biomechanics
- National Strength & Conditioning Association