Daniel McFarland, Ph.D.

Biomechanics Associate

Dr. Daniel McFarland is a Biomechanics Associate at Guidance Engineering and Applied Research specializing in accident reconstruction and biomechanics. By applying the principles of engineering to the human body, Dr. McFarland determines the forces and motions experienced during an event and compares them to the forces and motions required to create an injury and those experienced during activities of daily living. He also uses injuries as evidence to determine how an accident occurred. Dr. McFarland evaluates the risk of injury using computational models, anthropometric testing devices, statistical analyses, and injury databases. Dr. McFarland conducts biomechanical analyses for injury claims related to motor vehicle accident, slip trip and falls, and recreational activities.

Dr. McFarland’s research interests include upper extremity biomechanics, ergonomics, musculoskeletal disorders, and computational modeling and simulations. Prior to joining Guidance Engineering, Dr. McFarland was a Research Associate at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (the #1 rehabilitation hospital in the USA). As a Research Associate, he conducted research to understand the loss of grip strength that occurs following surgical salvage procedures for wrist osteoarthritis by developing a musculoskeletal model of the hand and wrist. His research included comparing simulations of functional tasks to experimental outcomes of strength, electromyography, and kinematics. Dr. McFarland’s Ph.D. research at North Carolina State University, focused on optimizing workspace design to prevent shoulder musculoskeletal disorders.