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Contact

210-567-8626

sivaramakris@uthscsa.edu

Departments & Divisions

Research Areas

Neuroscience

Anjali Sivaramakrishnan, PhD, PT

Assistant Professor

Anjali Sivaramakrishnan is an assistant professor in the department of physical therapy at the School of Health Professions at UT Health San Antonio, Texas. Dr. Sivaramakrishnan’s background includes a Bachelor’s degree in physiotherapy from Sancheti Institute College of Physiotherapy and a Master’s degree in physiotherapy in neurosciences from Manipal University. She completed her PhD in rehabilitation sciences from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has over 10 years’ experience in rehabilitation of individuals with disorders such as stroke, spinal cord injury, Parkinson’s Disease and other disorders.

 

  • Professional Background

    Education

    • 2020 - PhD - Rehabilitation Sciences - University of Illinois at Chicago
    • 2012 - MPT - Physical Therapy (Neurosciences) - Manipal University
    • 2010 - BPTh - Physical Therapy - Maharashtra University of Health Sciences

    Highlights

    • University of Illinois at Chicago College of Applied Health Sciences Achievement Award, 2020
    • University of Florida Neuromuscular Plasticity Scholar, 2020
    • University of Illinois at Chicago Lillian B. Torrance Award, 2018
    • University of Illinois at Chicago Three Minute Thesis Competition Award, 2018
    • International Congress on Neurology and Rehabilitation Best Poster Award, 2012
    • Sancheti Institute College of Physiotherapy Best Outgoing Student Award, 2009

    Appointments

    • 12/2020 - Assistant Professor - UT Health San Antonio

  • Instruction & Training

    • Summer 2021-current, Neuroscience, UT Health San Antonio
    • Fall 2021-current, Cells, Systems and Disease, UT Health San Antonio
    • Spring 2023, Ethics in Clinical and Research Setting , UT Health San Antonio

  • Research & Grants

    Dr. Sivaramakrishnan’s long-term goals are to develop an understanding of the various circuits in the brain using neuromodulation and neuroimaging-based technologies and develop tools that can be used as clinical adjuncts to rehabilitation. She is also interested in understanding the neurophysiological mechanisms that are involved in the brain as a response to therapy. Some of the tools that Dr. Sivaramakrishnan employs in her research include transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation. Outcomes from her research will help in integrating non-invasive brain stimulation into physical therapy treatment protocols for individuals with neurological disorders. 

    Grants

    American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowship (2018 - 2020)

    Status: Completed

    Title: Understanding the neural effects of non-invasive brain stimulation enhanced aerobic exercise in stroke

    Role: Principal Investigator

  • Service

    National

    • Member - American Physical Therapy Association
    • Member - American Council of Academic Physical Therapy
    • Nominating committee member - Balance and Falls SIG, Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy

    Global

    • Website Chair and Board Member - International Society of Virtual Rehabilitation

  • Publications

      Tools to modulate neuroplasticity

      Sivaramakrishnan, A., Zuhl, M., & Mang, C. S. (2022). Exercise priming: The use of physical exercise to support motor and cognitive function. Frontiers in Psychology, 13.

      Sivaramakrishnan, A., & Madhavan, S. (2020). Combining transcranial direct current stimulation with aerobic exercise to optimize cortical priming in stroke. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, (ja).

      Madhavan, S., Cleland, B. T., Sivaramakrishnan, A., Freels, S., Lim, H., Testai, F. D., & Corcos, D. M. (2020). Cortical priming strategies for gait training after stroke: a controlled, stratified trial. Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation, 17(1), 1-14.

      ​Madhavan, S., Lim, H., Sivaramakrishnan, A., & Iyer, P. (2019). Effects of high intensity speed-based treadmill training on ambulatory function in people with chronic stroke: a preliminary study with long-term follow-up. Scientific reports, 9(1), 1-8.

      Sivaramakrishnan, A., Datta, A., Bikson, M., & Madhavan, S. (2019). Remotely supervised transcranial direct current stimulation: a feasibility study for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. NeuroRehabilitation, 45(3), 369-378.

      Sivaramakrishnan, A., & Madhavan, S. (2019). Recumbent stepping aerobic exercise in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a pilot study. Neurological Sciences, 40(5), 971-978. 

      Madhavan, S., Sivaramakrishnan, A., Bond, S., & Jiang, Q. L. (2019). Safety and feasibility of transcranial direct current stimulation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis–a pilot study with a single subject experimental design. Physiotherapy theory and practice, 35(5), 458-463.

      ​Sivaramakrishnan, A., & Madhavan, S. (2018). Absence of a Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation–Induced Lower Limb Corticomotor Response Does Not Affect Walking Speed in Chronic Stroke Survivors. Stroke, 49(8), 2004-2007.

      Transcranial magnetic stimulation associated mechanistic studies

      Sivaramakrishnan, A., & Madhavan, S. (2020). Reliability of transcallosal inhibition measurements for the lower limb motor cortex in stroke. Neuroscience Letters, 135558.

      Sivaramakrishnan, A., & Madhavan, S. (2020). Stimulus Intensity Affects Variability of Motor Evoked Responses of the Non-Paretic, but Not Paretic Tibialis Anterior Muscle in Stroke. Brain Sciences, 10(5), 297.

      Sivaramakrishnan, A., Tahara-Eckl, L., & Madhavan, S. (2016). Spatial localization and distribution of the TMS-related ‘hotspot’of the tibialis anterior muscle representation in the healthy and post-stroke motor cortex. Neuroscience letters, 627, 30-35

      Non-invasive electrical stimulation and spasticity

      Sivaramakrishnan, A., Solomon, J. M., & Manikandan, N. (2018). Comparison of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and functional electrical stimulation (FES) for spasticity in spinal cord injury-A pilot randomized cross-over trial. The journal of spinal cord medicine, 41(4), 397-406.

      Outcome measures in neurological rehabilitation

      Madhavan, S., Sivaramakrishnan, A., Bowden, M. G., Chumbler, N. R., Field-Fote, E. C., & Kesar, T. M. (2021). Commentary: Remote assessments of gait and balance-Implications for research during and beyond Covid-19. Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation, 1-8.

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