Departments & Divisions
Research
Research Areas
NeuroscienceAnjali Sivaramakrishnan, PhD, PT
Assistant Professor
Currently seeking M.S. & Ph.D. students
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.
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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
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UTHSA Kudolo Early-Stage Investigator Award, 2024
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Shirlyn B Mackenzie Teaching Excellence Award, UTHSA, 2023
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First Prize at T1 - T4 Institute of Integrative Medicine and Science, UTHSA, 2022
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UIC College of Applied Health Sciences Achievement Award, 2020
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UF Neuromuscular Plasticity Scholar, 2020
- UIC Lillian B. Torrance Award, 2018
Appointments
- 12/2020 - Assistant Professor - UT Health San Antonio
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Instruction & Training
- Summer 2021-current, Neuroscience, UT Health San Antonio
- Fall 2021-current, Cells, Systems and Disease, UT Health San Antonio
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Research & Grants
Dr. Sivaramakrishnan's research focuses on developing rehabilitation protocols that can improve postural control and neuroplasticity in individuals with Parkinson's disease. Her current research interests are in exploring the mechanisms of aerobic exercise as a primer to rehabilitation protocols in individuals with Parkinson's disease. Other research projects include using blood flow restriction training for improving strength and using long term exercise for slowing disease progression in Parkinson's disease.
Grants
P30AG044271
San Antonio Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center
Pepper Center Pilot & Exploratory Studies Core Pilot Award
Role: Project lead
2/1/2024 – 6/30/2025
Pilot project title: Blood flow restriction for optimizing balance in Parkinson’s disease
1K12TR004529
Tsevat/Cahill (PI)
Institute for Integration of Medicine and Science, Role: Scholar,
09/01/23 – 08/31/25
Pilot Project Title: High-intensity endurance exercise as a primer to virtual reality for optimizing cortical excitability and neuroplasticity in Parkinson’s disease.
P30AG044271
Espinoza (PI)
San Antonio Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center Pilot Program
Project Lead (Almeida), Role: Project Co-PI
11/30/22 – 11/30/24
Pilot Project Title: Exploring the effects of blood flow restriction training on neuroplasticity in older adults.
School of Health Professions Pilot Seed Grant Program – UT Health San Antonio
Sivaramakrishnan (PI)
5/1/23 – 4/30/24
Combining aerobic exercise priming and virtual reality for improving neuroplasticity in Parkinson’s disease.
Texas Physical Therapy Foundation
Sivaramakrishnan (PI)
12/15/2021 – 11/30/2023
Combining aerobic exercise priming and virtual reality for improving neuroplasticity in Parkinson’s disease.
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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
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Publications
Tools to modulate neuroplasticity
Sivaramakrishnan A, Subramanian SK. A Systematic Review on the Effects of Acute Aerobic Exercise on Neurophysiological, Molecular, and Behavioral Measures in Chronic Stroke. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair. 2023;37(2-3):151-164.
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.
Cognition and Parkinson's disease
Davis, J. J., Sivaramakrishnan, A., Rolin, S., & Subramanian, S. (2023). Intra-individual variability in cognitive performance predicts functional decline in Parkinson’s disease. Applied Neuropsychology: Adult, 1–8.