Academic Credentials
  • Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, 2023
  • M.S., Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, 2021
  • B.S., Civil Engineering, Tufts University, 2014
Professional Honors
  • Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Scholar
  • Tau Beta Pi – Engineering Honor Society
Professional Affiliations
  • International Radiostereometry Society
  • International Women in Biomechanics
  • Orthopedic Research Society

Dr. Niesen offers expertise in evaluating injury potential and injury mechanisms using computational simulations and image analyses. Using a biomechanical perspective, she applies diverse engineering tools to assess injury risk and characterize product safety. Dr. Niesen specializes in the biomechanics of the knee joint, the analysis of medical devices within a biomechanical framework, and the development of medical imaging capabilities for biomechanical applications.

Dr. Niesen's competencies include several engineering tools such as finite-element modeling, rigid-body dynamics, and kinematics combined with extensive surgical and medical imaging experience in both cadaveric specimens and human subjects. At Exponent, she leverages this experience to conduct rigorous evaluations of human injury risk in various contexts, including motor vehicle, occupational, and recreational accidents.

Prior to joining Exponent, Dr. Niesen was a graduate researcher in the Orthopedic Biomechanics Laboratory at the University of California, Davis where she led a research initiative sponsored by Medacta International to evaluate a novel implant design concept in total knee arthroplasty patients. In this role, she developed a custom biplanar radiographic imaging system and protocols that improved the accuracy of measuring in vivo implant migrations.

Dr. Niesen also has experience developing advanced biomechanical computer models and simulations in Research and Development at Stryker. Within Stryker's Joint Replacement division, she worked in close collaboration with surgeons to enhance the design of innovative concepts and conducted cadaveric research pertaining to the human knee.