Academic Credentials
  • Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, 2024
  • B.S., Biomedical Engineering, Trine University, 2019
Professional Honors
  • Rising Star in Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2025
  • Danaher Corporation Scholar, Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Foundation, 2023
  • Fellow, Coulter Center for Translational Research, 2023
  • Trainee, National Institutes of Health (NIH) T32 Biotechnology Training Program, 2021-2023
Professional Affiliations
  • American Society of Biomechanics – 2020-Present
  • International Society of Women in Biomechanics – 2020-Present
  • Biomedical Engineering Society – 2017-2018

Dr. McCrady is a biomedical engineer specializing in musculoskeletal biomechanics, clinical imaging, and computational modeling. She holds a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Virginia and has extensive experience in translational research aimed at improving musculoskeletal health and performance. Her expertise spans clinical biomechanics, ultrasound and MRI-based imaging, and finite element modeling to assess muscle structure, quality, and function in both healthy and diseased states. She has led and contributed to projects involving neuromuscular diseases (e.g., Duchenne muscular dystrophy, spinal muscular atrophy, facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy), injury prevention in military populations (e.g. bone stress injuries, exercise-induced muscle damage), and development of novel imaging biomarkers (e.g. magnetic resonance, ultrasound). She is skilled in computational modeling (e.g. finite element, statistical) and advanced image processing techniques (e.g. automated segmentation, textural analyses), with a strong record of interdisciplinary collaboration across engineering, clinical, and military research environments. Recognized with numerous awards, Allison combines technical innovation with practical application to advance human health and performance.

Prior to joining Exponent, Dr. McCrady was a postdoctoral researcher at the U.S Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine in the Military Performance Division. Her postdoctoral research focused on quantifying sex-based differences in muscle recovery post-exercise through applying ultrasound, biopsies, and physical performance metrics. Additionally, she incorporated wearable health metrics to assess coast guard cadet physical health changes during initial training. In her doctoral research at the University of Virginia, Dr. McCrady applied translational medical imaging and computational modeling methods to reveal the complex relationships between muscle size, quality, and strength in patients with neuromuscular diseases. She leveraged ultrasound imaging and statistical modeling to develop a novel multivariable biomechanics-based biomarker to estimate strength of patients with spinal muscular atrophy and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Additionally, she developed novel magnetic resonance image — derived finite element models of the tibialis anterior muscle incorporating anatomical fat infiltration patterns to quantify the impact of regional fat infiltration on muscle force generation. During her doctoral education, Dr. McCrady also participated in a three-month externship with Pfizer's Digital Science and Translational Imaging group where she completed a project assessing potential new MR-based biomarkers and the correlation to ambulatory function for use in future Duchenne muscular dystrophy clinical trials.