OUR PEOPLE
Academic Credentials
- Ph.D., Neuroscience, Wake Forest University, 2025
- M.S., Neuroscience, Wake Forest University, 2021
- B.S., Biology, Providence College, 2018
Professional Honors
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Predoctoral National Research Service Award (NIH F31), 2022-2024
- Gordon A. Melson Outstanding Master’s Student Award (nominee), 2021
- Margaret H. Hines Travel Award, 2021
Professional Affiliations
- Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 2025-present
Dr. Swenson is a trained neuroscientist with expertise in cognitive and motor function having conducted research spanning attentional control, visual motor processing, visual and verbal memory, and postural control. She has also conducted research supporting our understanding of individual-level and environmental factors contributing to safety risk in real-world environments. Dr. Swenson applies her expertise to understand human factors in scenarios including motor vehicle collisions, workplace accidents, slip-trip-and-fall incidents, and consumer product use and testing.
Prior to joining Exponent, Dr. Swenson completed her Ph.D. in Neuroscience at Wake Forest University. Her doctoral research integrated cognitive neuroscience and injury risk and kinematics to investigate intrinsic and extrinsic factors contributing to injury risk in sports. She has additional expertise in evaluating changes in neurobehavioral and motor function as an outcome of injurious and non-injurious head trauma.
Dr. Swenson has extensive experience in study design, human subjects testing, data analysis, and scientific communication. Her interdisciplinary background allows her to provide unique insights into human factors underlying injury risk and safety.