Vaishnavi (Vee) Shahane, PT, MS, is a PhD student in Rehabilitation Sciences at Mass General Brigham University of Health Professions and a doctoral fellow in the Cognitive-Motor Behavior Lab, where she is mentored by Dr. Megan Schliep, PhD, CCC-SLP, MPH and Dr. Prudence Plummer, PhD, PT, BPhysio (Hons).
Vee completed her physical therapy degree as a Gold Medalist at Maharashtra University of Health Sciences in India. She provided neurorehabilitation to adult and geriatric populations with neurodegenerative diseases, stroke, and traumatic brain injury across acute, high-dependency, and outpatient settings. During this time, Vee also designed community telerehabilitation programs and directed large-scale health initiatives, including national camps for the Multiple Sclerosis Society of India. She earned a Master of Science in Kinesiology (Exercise Science) and a Graduate Certificate in Exercise Prescription from the University of Connecticut. Her research integrated motion capture technologies, kinematic testing, custom MATLAB/R data pipelines, and wearable sensors to develop sensorimotor interventions for individuals with disabilities.
Her work included analyzing data for federal grant reporting and compliance, examining statewide public health datasets, and evaluating the effectiveness of digital applications designed to support motoric interventions in collaboration with Special Olympics International. She mentored interdisciplinary trainees as an affiliated physical therapy faculty teaching assistant for the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) program and continues to serve as Managing Editor for an interdisciplinary international journal: Infants & Young Children.
Vee holds close a line from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s poem: “To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived, this is to have succeeded.” During her PhD program she hopes to scale that impact from one life to thousands. At Mass General Brigham University, Vee wants to build a career rooted in service, evidence, and advancing rehabilitation sciences through interdisciplinary research, education, and leadership.
- Physical Therapy, Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, India
- Master of Science in Kinesiology (major: Exercise Science), University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
- Graduate Certificate in Exercise Prescription, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
- Neurorehabilitation, using motion capture, wearable sensors and gamified tools to drive engagement and functional recovery
- Translating research into real-world settings via home programs, telerehabilitation, and clinic-to-community transition models
Publications
Shahane, V., Kilyk, A., & Srinivasan, S. M. (2024). Effects of physical activity and exercise-based interventions in young adults with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review. Autism, 28(2), 276-300. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613231169058
Shahane, V., Kumavor, P., Morgan, K., Friel, K. M., & Srinivasan, S. M. (2023). A protocol for a single-arm interventional study assessing the effects of a home-based joystick-operated ride-on-toy navigation training programme to improve affected upper extremity function and spontaneous use in children with unilateral cerebral palsy (UCP). BMJ open, 13(5), e071742. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01942638.2024.2360462
Shahane, V., Kumavor, P. D., Morgan, K., & Srinivasan, S. (2024). Fast and fun: a pilot feasibility study using dual joystick-operated ride-on toys for upper extremity rehabilitation in children with hemiplegia. Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics, 44(6), 844-864. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01942638.2024.2360462
Presentations
Engagement and Motivation in Rehabilitation Across the Lifespan. Platform presentation at the American Physical Therapy Association – Connecticut Chapter (CT-APTA) held in Oct 2024 in Connecticut.
Reinventing rehabilitation sciences with novel technology-based interventions. Platform presentation at the Graduate Student Research Forum, College of Health, Agriculture, and Natural Resources, University of Connecticut, March 2024.
Bridging Research and Clinical Practice. Platform presentation at the American Physical Therapy Association Combined Section Meeting 2024 held in Boston, MA. https://apta.confex.com/apta/csm2024/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/41495