AREAS OF INTEREST, EXPERTISE AND RESEARCH

Area of Interest

Hand Rehabilitation, Hand Splinting, Low Technology Assistive Device

Area of Expertise

Hand Rehabilitation, Hand Splinting, Low Technology Assistive Device

Area of Research

Hand Rehabilitation, Hand Splinting, Low Technology Assistive Device

Professional Affiliations & Contributions

Membership of Professional Bodies

•          Life Member of All India Occupational Therapist’s Association [# 1966/95/18/11]
•          Life Member of Society for Hand Therapy [# 17/2008/2016]
•          Life Associate Member of Indian Society for Surgery of the Hand [# 12]
•          Member of Indian Academy of Cerebral Palsy.
•          Life Member of Indian Federation of Neurorehabilitation [# 169]

Fellowships

•          Awarded with the Fellowship of Academic Council of Occupational Therapy [FACOT] by All India Occupational Therapists’ Association on 21^st Jan, 2010.

Awards

•          AIOTA N. R. Pawle Award in 1997 (2 awards) and 1998 (one award)
•          AIOTA Trophy for Best Adaptive Device in 2000 and 2005
•          Declared as the BEST TEACHER  for the year 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 in Dept. of Occupational Therapy at Manipal Academy of Higher Education (Deemed University), Manipal, Karnataka.
•          Awarded Manipal Faculty Study Fellowship by Manipal Foundation for the year 2003-2004 & 2005-2006.
•          Has been nominated as the outstanding post graduate student till date at OT School & Centre, LTM Medical College and Sion Hospital, Mumbai.
•          Recipient of the “Excellence in Hand Splinting Training” award by College of Allied Health Sciences, Manipal University on 25^th Jan, 2013.
•          Recipient of “Professional Excellence Award” by All India Occupational Therapists’ Association on 26^th Feb, 2013.
•          Won the Best Mini-Movie award  at the 6^th Annual National Conference of Society for Hand Therapy, India on Sept, 2017.  
•          Awarded the International Distinguished Entry in assistive device  at the 32^nd International Maddak Awards and 82^nd AOTA Conference in April, 2006 at North Carolina, USA.

Recognitions

•          Appointed as the principal investigator for the project titled “Global Evolution of Occupational Therapy: A Historical Perspective” by WFOT.
•          Appointed as Feedback Member from India to represent on WFOT Project on “Guiding Principles on Diversity and Culture”, May,2008 to July, 2009.
•          Abstract reviewer for the 15^th International Congress of the WFOT at Santiago, Chile, held on May, 2010.
•          Abstract reviewer for the 9^th Triennial Congress of the IFSHT at New Delhi, India on March, 2013.
•          Nominated in the international expert committee of WFOT to draft the Position Statement on the “Role of Occupational Therapy in the Management of Musculoskeletal Conditions” [Sept, 2017].
•          Validation of the WHO Comprehensive ICF Core Set for Multiple Sclerosis  from the Perspective of Occupational Therapists and ICF Core Sets for Hand Conditions.
•          Appointed as one of the co-investigator in the project titled “Occupational Therapy Education in Social Transformation” as part of India/ Brazil/ South Africa [IBSA] Cooperation in Higher Education & Research funded by Higher Education South African.
•          Nominated as Hand Therapy Educator by International Federation of Societies for Hand Therapy, Nov, 2012
•          Nominated as Human Factor Consultant for a project by Centroid Engineers India Pvt. Ltd., Coimbatore. Nominated as a consultant to Handicap International.
•          The founder and chief resource person for Certificate Course in Hand Splinting at Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Allied Health Sciences, Manipal since Jan, 2008 and have trained 43 batches of students and approved by International Federation of Societies for Hand Therapy.  

Office bearer

•          Nominated as Co-opted EC Member of All India Occupational Therapists’ Association (AIOTA) for 2000-2002, 2004-2006, 2006-2008
•          Elected as Honorary Secretary of AIOTA for 2002-2004, 2008-2010, 2010-2012
•          Appointed as Chairman Scientific Program Committee at  38^th and 39^th AIOTA Conference.
•          Appointed as the Website Convener of the official website of AIOTA and was the founding Website Convener [2002 – 2012].
•          Nominated Member of National Advisory Editorial Board of Indian Journal of Physiotherapy & Occupational Therapy, Aug, 2007.
•          Current Vice-President of Society for Hand Therapy- India (iSHT).
•          Current nominated Executive Committee Member of Academic Council of Occupational Therapy [ACOT] of AIOTA for the term 2012-2016, 2016-2020.
•          Nominated Member of National Advisory Editorial Board of Journal of Geriatric Care and Research, April, 2012
•          Appointed as the Editorial Board Member of Manipal University Press [vide letter dt. 1^st Jan, 2014].

Member of BOS of other universities

•          Post Graduate Examiner for Mumbai University for the specialty of Musculoskeletal Condition/ Hand.
•          Appointed as the Board of Studies Member [for Occupational Therapy] by Goa University [vide letter GU/Acad- PG/32/BoS-Para-Med/2013/826/723, dt- 23/05/2013]
•          Appointed as the PhD Degree External Examiner at SRM University, Chennai [vide letter dt. 28^th Dec, 2016].

Work Experience