Dr. Cynthia Bir, Ph.D
Ph.D., BioMedical Engineering, Wayne State University, 2000.
M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Wayne State University, 1999.
M.S., Bioengineering, University of Michigan, 1992.
B.S., Nursing, Nazareth College, 1990.
Dr. Bir has extensive research experience in the area of human injury tolerances. Her research interests include sports injury biomechanics, ballistic impacts, blast injury, and forensic biomechanics. She has studied the effects of impacts to all regions of the body and is known world-wide for her work in this area.
Dr. Bir has received funding for various research efforts in the area of injury biomechanics. Investigating the effects of ballistic impacts to the human body, she has studied Behind Armor Blunt Trauma (BABT) and the assessment of personnel protective gear. She also has studies stab/slash wounds to correctional officers, the effects of Tasers on vulnerable populations, and how body armor affects the core body temperature of the end users. She has to studied both blast neurotrauma and lower extremity injury research. Her sports related research includes the development of a new thoracic surrogate to evaluate chest protectors, a cumulative concussion model and real-time data collection of head impacts in boxing and football.
Dr. Bir has published almost 60 peer-reviewed journal papers and over 100 abstracts and conference papers. She has served as an invited guest at several conferences both here in the United States and abroad.
Dr. Bir has served as a member on the NATO Human Factors and Medicine Panel (HFM 148) for Improvised Explosive Devices and has been an invited guest for the International Vehicle Security Advisory Group and a subject matter expert for the LCG9 Blunt Trauma Group.
Dr. Bir has been asked to present to various groups including the Youth in Engineering and Science (YES) Expo, TED-Ed and at the World Science Festival. She was also selected as a Detroit Crain’s Business Daily, Women to Watch and is an AIMBE Fellow.
Dr. Bir has served as a scientific consultant both on and off camera for ESPN “Sport Science”, National Geographic “Fight Science”, CNBC “Make Me a Millionaire Inventor”, History Channel “Super Humans”, along with a variety of other science productions.
Bernadette Abou-Harb, MS, CPST
Bernadette Abou-Harb is the Program Specialist for the USC Center for Trauma, Violence and Injury Prevention (CTVIP). She holds a Master’s of Science in Nonprofit Management and Human Services from Northeastern University and a Bachelor’s of Science in Community Health Education from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Bernadette is the current Los Angeles Think First Chapter Director, Think First is a National Injury Prevention Foundation. She also heads up the Safe Kids Los Angeles East Coalition and is a Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician.