Postdoctoral Researcher

Benjamin McManus, PhD is a postdoctoral researcher with the UAB TRIP Laboratory. Ben’s research focuses on human factors, cognition, and occupational factors involved in driving safety. He recently completed his NIOSH Education & Research Center-funded dissertation project examining sleep, fatigue, stress and driving performance in medical residents. Ben’s Master’s thesis work on sustained attention in commercial truck drivers has recently been published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, and his work in drowsy driving has been featured in U.S. News & World Report. In addition to leading his dissertation study, Ben is involved in studies investigating traumatic brain injury and driving (DART and SAF-TI) by running participants, programming the driving simulator, and managing driving simulator data. Ben enjoys furthering his programming, data management and analysis skill set at every opportunity. Ben aspires to continue his work investigating occupational considerations and human factors in injury prevention with a career in research and development of ergonomic interventions to improve driving performance.

“I have had the unique opportunity to be a member of the TRIP lab as an undergraduate assistant, a post-baccalaureate assistant, and now as a graduate assistant. Dr. Stavrinos’ invaluable leadership of the TRIP lab has provided a vital foundation for the skills and experience necessary for success at all stages of my career. The TRIP lab is a thriving and active hub for not only the acquisition of knowledge in the fields of injury prevention, but also in translating the findings of our research for implementation in the community. The mentorship and opportunities provided by Dr. Stavrinos foster an environment where assistants at all stages of his or her career can thrive, gain crucial experience, and enjoy all aspects of the research process.”

Selected Publications

McManus, B., Heaton, K., & Stavrinos, D. (2017). Commercial motor vehicle driving performance: An examination of attentional resources and control. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 23(2) 191-203.

McManus, B., Heaton, K., Vance, D. E., & Stavrinos, D. (2016). The useful field of view assessment predicts simulated commercial motor vehicle driving performance. Traffic Injury Prevention, 17(7), 763-769.

McManus, B., Cox, M. K., Vance, D. E. &, Stavrinos, D. (2015). Predicting motor vehicle collisions in a driving simulator in young adults using the useful field of view assessment. Traffic Injury Prevention, 16(8), 818-823

Selected Presentations

McManus, B., Porterfield, J.R., Heaton, K.H., & Stavrinos, D. (2017, June). Sleep and driving safety in surgical residents. Abstract submitted for presentation at the 129^th Annual Meeting of the Southern Surgical Association, Hot Springs, VA.

McManus, B. & Stavrinos, D. (2017, March). Occupational Demands on Fatigue and Driving Safety in Surgical Residents. Oral presentation at the Tenth International Conference on Managing Fatigue. San Diego, CA.

McManus, B. (2016, October). A Hard Day’s Night: How Work Impacts Driving Safety. Presented at the 2016 UAB Three Minute Thesis Competition [Winner of preliminary session, advanced to semifinals]. Birmingham, AL.

McManus, B. (2016, March). Vigilance in commercial drivers: Individual differences moderate the effect of secondary tasks. Presented at 2016 UAB Graduate Student Research Days [Second Place Oral Presentation]. Birmingham, AL.

McManus, B., Stavrinos, D. (2016, January). Safety perspectives on distraction and distracted walking. (Workshop: Distracted Walking: An Emerging Problem in Need of Evidence-Based Solutions). 95th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board. Washington, DC.