Senior Research Area Specialist, Biosciences

Location

University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, Room 425 2901 Baxter Rd. Ann Arbor, MI 48109

fax (734) 647-3330

Pronouns

she/her/hers

Education

• MS, Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan
• BS, Biosystems Engineering, Michigan State University

Research Interests and Areas of Expertise

Nichole Ritchie Orton joined the Biosciences Group at UMTRI in 2003. Mrs. Orton’s research interests focus on impact biomechanics and she is a lead engineer in the UMTRI sled-impact facility.  She supervises scheduling, equipment setup, data collection, and reporting of sled-impact tests of wheelchairs, child restraints, and other safety devices to the current federal and industry standards using anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs). She also performs biomechanical testing to measure injury response to vertical loading in support of blast dummy development and to optimize restraint systems for soldiers in military tactical vehicles.  She has experience with the analysis of motor-vehicle crashes and crash databases, laboratory reconstruction of real-world loading events, occupant-anthropometry and posture evaluation, child-passenger-safety issues evaluation, and Madymo crash modeling. She is a certified child passenger safety instructor, is trained in transporting children with special health care needs, and frequently performs child-seat inspections.

Service

• UMTRI Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee

Awards

• UMTRI Research Excellence Award, 2007

Additional Information

ORCID:  0000-0003-0792-8664