Academic Credentials
  • Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, University of Utah, 2019
  • M.S., Mechanical Engineering, University of Utah, 2018
  • B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Brigham Young University, 2016
Licenses & Certifications
  • Professional Engineer Mechanical, Arizona, #77089
Professional Honors
  • National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Fellowship, 2016-2019

Dr. Mortensen's expertise is in analyzing and modeling the biomechanics of human movement as it relates to injury, musculoskeletal disorders, and performance. His work analyzes loading, posture, and muscle forces to determine injury mechanics and injury potential. 

Dr. Mortensen's experience has been directly applied to specific projects involving wearable device design, automotive incidents, law enforcement, workplace incidents, and other incidents involving injury.

Dr. Mortensen has investigated the effects of several factors on head injury metrics in various activities involving blunt force trauma (including American football). These factors include active neck muscles, posture prior to impact, and impact magnitude. He has conducted studies on ergonomic risk, sports performance, and muscle control. Dr. Mortensen has developed and maintains an open-source musculoskeletal model of the head and neck, which is freely available through SimTK.org.

Prior to joining Exponent, Dr. Mortensen was a Graduate Assistant in the University of Utah Department of Mechanical Engineering, working in the Ergonomics and Safety Lab. During his time in this lab, Dr. Mortensen was a National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health trainee.