Draft:Vijayakumar Palaniswamy PhD
Dr. Vijayakumar Palaniswamy
Dr. Vijayakumar Palaniswamy, Ph.D. is a distinguished Indian physiotherapist, academic, researcher, and innovator in the field of orthopedic rehabilitation and medical technologies. He is currently serving as an Associate Professor of Physiotherapy at Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, a constituent college of Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE). With international academic experience at Griffith University (Australia) and the National University of Malaysia (UKM), he has been instrumental in advancing education, research, and clinical excellence in rehabilitation sciences.
Academic Qualifications
- Ph.D. in Physiotherapy, Griffith University, Australia (2018)
- M.Sc. (Non-Award), USA: Pittsburgh State University, Marymount University
- Associate Degree in Science (2003), Northern Virginia Community College
- BPT (Bachelor of Physiotherapy), Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University, India (1999)
- Certificate in Data Science, Harvard University (via edX, 2021)
Current Position and Responsibilities
- Associate Professor, Department of Physiotherapy, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore (MAHE), since 2022
- Head of In-Patient Orthopedic Unit
- OSCE and OSPE Examiner and Quality Assessment Officer
- Supervisor for 10 UG, 5 PG, and 1 DPT research projects (Andrews University, USA)
- Reviewer: Journal of Risk Management and Healthcare Policy
Research and Teaching Career
Griffith University (Australia)
- PBL Facilitator, School of Medicine (2019–present)
- Lecturer in Physiology & Sports Injury (School of Allied Health Sciences)
- Research Assistant in Grant Development (ARC/NHMRC)
- Contributor to national and international tendinopathy research
- Associate Professor (2022–2024)
- Clinical Coordinator & Head of In-Patient Ortho Unit
- Mentor to UG, PG, and PhD students
- Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy (2009–2014)
- PI of funded public health and injury prevention studies
- Guided over 20 undergraduate research projects
Research Grants & Innovation
- ARC Linkage Grant Support, Griffith ($1.87M)
- Community Injury Surveillance Grant (RM12,000), UKM
- SELF Tool (2024): Geriatric Functional Screening Innovation
- ICMR Small Extramural Grant Co-PI (Public Health BLS Training)
- Malaysian digital health records for fishermen project
Areas of Expertise
- Medical Imaging & Musculoskeletal Ultrasound
- Medical Research & Rehabilitation Technology
- Exercise & Oncology, Tendinopathy
- Pediatric CP, Men’s Health, Falls Prevention
- RCTs, Longitudinal Data Analytics
- Virtual Reality Rehab, Sports Injuries
Selected Publications
| Year | Title | Journal | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Effectiveness of novel facial stretching with structured exercise versus conventional exercise for Bell’s palsy | Scientific Reports | View Article |
| 2024 | Dual tasking as a predictor of falls in post-stroke: Walking While Talking versus Stops Walking While Talking | F1000Research | View Article |
| 2024 | A Strong Connection between Hand Gestures and Tongue Movements | Int. J. of Convergence in Healthcare | [https://doi.org/10.63045/ijch.v4.i1.202 |