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Richard Young Background
WSU School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences
– Research Professor, 2009-Present; Adjunct Prof., 2002-2009 (concurrent with GM position).
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GM
– Engineer, Human Factors group, GM Production Engineering, 1999-2009 (Retired 2009).
• Human Factors, Driver Performance and Behavior, Active Safety, Crash Avoidance, Driver Distraction.
• GM Global Lead for Driver Workload, 1999-2009.
– Scientist, Computer Science Department, GM R&D, 1984-1998.
• Automotive displays, driver vision, robotic vision , virtual reality.
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Automotive-Related Funding Awarded as PI or Co-PI: $2,400,000
Toyota: Principal Investigator, “Driver Distraction: Model, Validation, and Guidelines,” Toyota
Collaborative Safety Research Center, $660,000, 2011-2014; Principal Investigator, “Driver
Distraction Definition Workshop,” Toyota Collaborative Safety Research Center, $48,000,
2012-2013.
GM: Principal Investigator, GM R&D Gift to Wayne State University, “Automated Recognition of
Emotion from Facial Expressions,” $250,000, 2010-2011; Co-Investigator, GM Foundation
Gift, WSU SOM, $200,000, 2001-2003.
GM, Ford, Nissan, Toyota: Co-Investigator, Crash Avoidance Metrics Partnership (GM, Ford,
Toyota, Nissan) Gifts, “Brain Imaging of Conversation while Driving,” $125,000, 2003-2004.
State of Michigan: Co-Investigator, Michigan Life Sciences Corridor Research (MTTC) Grant,
“Real-time Functional Neuroimaging of Driver Performance,” $1,250,000, 2005-2008.
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Current Research Interests & Goals
• Epidemiological Analysis of Naturalistic Driving Data,
particularly Drowsy Driving (not yet funded, presentation
pending to a major European auto company)
• Cognitive Distraction while Driving: Models and Validation
(currently funded by Toyota)
Goals:
1. Increase funding for automotive safety R&D at WSU.
– Funding from major automotive companies to WSU has substantially declined
in the past 10 years; this trend needs to be reversed.
– Starting in 2014, NHTSA will give automotive safety funds to new “contract
centers” (all NHTSA funds now go to just 2 long-established contract centers).
– An automotive safety center at WSU, if properly set up in time, could
apply to be such a contract center.
2. Conduct translational research to meet automotive safety
needs.
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