Dr. Dischinger has focused principally on injury epidemiology since joining the Study Center in 1984.

She has received funding from NHTSA, the CDC, NIH, NIOSH, NIAAA, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Some of her federally funded projects include: Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System (CODES); Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network (CIREN); and the Traumatic Brain Injury Surveillance Study. 

Dr. Dischinger earned her doctorate in epidemiology from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and has published extensively.

In particular, her research emphasis has been on the causes and outcomes of vehicular trauma; motorcycle-related injuries, seatbelt use, occupant injury mechanisms, pedestrian injuries and lower-extremity injuries to vehicle occupants. Other areas of research include: substance abuse and injury; injury surveillance; occupational injuries and traumatic brain injury.