Today and Beyond

Y. Ian Noy

Y. Ian Noy, Ph.D. was named Vice President and Director of the Research Institute in January 2006. Under his leadership, the Institute staff, together with its international partners, continues to build on earlier successes as they search for new ways to prevent occupational and highway injuries and facilitate early and sustained return to work of injured workers.

In 2007, the Research Institute reorganized to refine research development and management and to set the groundwork for enhanced research capability and impact. The new organization, comprised of four Centers, reflects principal research areas. The Center for Physical Ergonomics investigates the causes and mechanisms of occupational injuries, focusing on work-related musculoskeletal disorders, injuries from slips, trips, and falls, and the relationship between worker physical capabilities and limitations and work demands. The Center for Behavioral Sciences investigates the impact of behavioral, cognitive, and organizational factors on workplace incidents and highway collisions. The Center for Injury Epidemiology, (formerly the Quantitative Analysis Unit), focuses on identifying exposures related to occupational injury and investigating the burden of injury. The Center for Disability Research continues its cutting-edge investigations into occupational disability and return-to-work processes for injured workers.

As the Research Institute progresses into the future, it will continue to pursue its mission of advancing scientific, business-relevant knowledge in workplace and highway safety, and work disability.