Prior to joining UCLA as a postdoctoral fellow, Young worked in technology and user behavior/human factors at the NASA Ames Research Center and Cisco Systems.

[10] Young has implemented social technologies to address issues related to HIV,[11] drug use prevention, and how to get people to repeat healthy behaviors (e.g., adhere to a medication regimen or exercise routine).

[16][17] As executive director of UCIPT, Young is partnering with people from multiple academic fields and business sectors,[18] with the goal of scaling software applications to a diverse range of potential uses.

In 2015, Young received the UC President's Research Catalyst Award for a multi-campus collaborative project focusing on social big data.

[20] Young is also a speaker, teacher, and author of Stick with It: A Scientifically Proven Process for Changing Your Life-for Good, the #1 Wall Street Journal Best Selling book.