Akshay Dahiya

Dr. Dahiya received his Ph.D. and M.S. in Engineering Mechanics from Virginia Tech, and his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology Ropar. His doctoral work focused on injury biomechanics, occupant safety in automated vehicles, and the use of finite element (FEM) human body models for simulating crash scenarios. His Ph.D. research was conducted at the Center for Injury Biomechanics in partnership with the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) and sponsored by NHTSA. While in graduate school, he also worked with an international tire manufacturing company developing analytical and FEM-based tools to simulate complex deformation behavior of fiber-reinforced materials.

At S-E-A, Dr. Dahiya applies his expertise in mechanical and biomechanical engineering to conduct forensic investigations involving injury causation, accident reconstruction, and mechanical failure analysis. He performs site and vehicle inspections, collects physical and digital evidence and conducts kinematic and kinetic analyses, simulations and tests. His current casework spans motor vehicle collisions, occupant protection systems, and human injury mechanics. He is also experienced in comparative analysis using physical testing data and Anthropometric Test Devices (ATDs) to assess injury mechanisms and thresholds.

Dr. Dahiya is an active contributor to ongoing biomechanics and automotive safety research with recent publications in Journal of Biomechanical Engineering and Journal of Transportation Safety, and a professional member of American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE).