Assistant Professor

Dr. Mohapatra’s primary area of expertise is in the development of rapid, mobile and reliable screening tools for mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) in student athletes and veterans. Specifically, his approach is a unique and multidimensional utilization of standing balance, cognition and eye tracking as primary indicators for mTBI.

Dr. Mohapatra is also passionate in designing novel rehabilitation paradigms to improve recovery of motor functions post-stroke. He is trained in Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and uses this technique to correlate neurophysiology with specific motor outcomes.

Research and/or Creative Works

  • Mountain West Clinical Translation Research Infrastructure Network, 2017-2018. NIGMS-NIH. Role- PI, Amount: $66,000. Title: Rapid screening of TBI in student athletes and veterans of rural mountain west.
  • Clinical Translational Research Program- American Indian/Alaskan Native, 2017. NIGMS-NIH. Role- PI, Amount: $55,000. Title: Rapid screening of TBI in American Indians.
  • Mountain West Clinical Translation Research Infrastructure Network, 2016. Visiting Fellowship Award. Role-Mentor. PI: Hyunhwa Lee, Amount: $9,342 Title: Early detection of Neurodegeneration after Concussion with Peripheral Blood Markers and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation.
  • Montana University System Research Initiative, 2015-2017. Role- Co-I with 10% effort. PI: Matthew Byerly, Amount: $1,462,158. Title: Synergistic improvement in diagnosis and treatment of mental illness, Dementia and chronic illness.
  • Montana University System Research Initiative. 2015-2017. Role- Co-I with 25% effort. PI: Sarj Patel. Amount: $2,234,834 Title: Translational Science at the Neural Injury Center: Expanding Clinical Services, Establishing Diagnostic Testing, and Developing Novel Therapeutic Interventions for Traumatic Brain Injury Survivors.
  • University Grant Program, 2015-2016. Role- PI. University of Montana. Amount: $5000 Title: Mechanisms of fatigue in chronic stroke.
  • Postdoctoral fellowship. 2012-2014. Role- Fellow, PI: Barbara Bregmam. Amount: $150,000/year Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training, NIDDR. Title: Mechanisms of arm recovery in individuals with severe stroke.
  • Predoctoral fellowship. Role- PI. 2012-2013. Amount: $8000 Chancellors Graduate Research Fellowship, University of Illinois at Chicago. Title: Virtual reality and its role in rehabilitation.

Publications

  • Degani AM, Santos MM, Leonard CT, Rau T, Patel S, Mohapatra S, Danna-dos-Santos A. The effects of mild traumatic brain injury on postural control. Brain Injury, 2016 Dec 12; 31(1):49-56.
  • Mohapatra S, Harrington R, Chan E, Dromerick A, Breceda E, Harris-Love M. Role of contralesional hemisphere in paretic arm reaching in patients with severe arm paresis due to stroke: A preliminary report. Neuroscience Letters, 2016 Mar 23; 617:52-8.
  • Winstein CJ, Wolf SL, Dromerick AW, Lane CJ, Nelsen MA, Lewthwaite R, Cen SY, Azen SP; Interdisciplinary Comprehensive Arm Rehabilitation Evaluation (ICARE) Investigative Team (Mohapatra S). Effect of a Task-Oriented Rehabilitation Program on Upper Extremity Recovery Following Motor Stroke: The ICARE Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2016 Feb 9; 315(6):571-81.
  • Ida Hirofumi, Mohapatra S, & Aruin A.S. How does foot elevation height during upright standing affect the activity of leg muscles on the supporting and lifting side? International Journal of Psychophysiology, 2014; 94(2): 255.
  • Mohapatra S, Chan E, Harrington R, Dromerick A,Turkeltaub P and Harris-Love M. Role of Non-Lesioned Hemisphere in Affected Arm Reaching Movements After Severe Stroke: A Pilot Study. Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, 2014 Oct; 95(10): e26.
  • Mohapatra S, Chan E, Breceda Tinoco E, Cohen L, Dromerick A and Harris-Love M. Behavioral and physiological effects of unilateral and bilateral reaching practice in individuals with severe stroke. Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, 2013 Oct; 94(10): e35.
  • Mohapatra S, Kukkar K, Aruin A.S. Support surface related changes in feedforward and feedback control of standing posture. Journal of EMG & Kinesiology, 2014 Feb; 24(1): 144-52.
  • Mohapatra S, Aruin A.S. Static and dynamic visual cues and its effect on postural control during external perturbations. Experimental Brain Research, 2013 Jan; 224(1): 25-34.
  • Mohapatra S, Eviota A.C, Ringquist K.L, Muthukrishnan Sri R, Aruin A.S. Compelled body weight shift technique to facilitate rehabilitation of individuals with acute stroke, ISRN- Rehabilitation, 2012 May; 2012: 1-7.
  • Mohapatra S, Krishnan V, Aruin A.S. Postural control in response to an external perturbation: effect of altered proprioceptive information. Experimental Brain Research, 2012 Mar; 217(2): 197-208.
  • Mohapatra S, Krishnan V, Aruin A.S. The effect of decreased visual acuity on control of posture. Clinical Neurophysiology, 2012 Jan; 123(1):173-82.

Awards and Recognition

  • University of Montana Faculty Merit Award - 2017

Associations and Affiliations

  • American Physical Therapy Association
  • Vermont Physical Therapy Association
  • American Society of Neurorehabilitation

Areas of Expertise and/or Research

  • Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
  • Screening tools in mild Traumatic Brain Injury
  • Recovery of motor functions post-stroke

Education

  • Postdoctoral Research Fellowship; Georgetown University
  • Ph.D., Rehabilitation Science & Neuroscience; University of Illinois
  • M.S., Kinesiology (Motor Control); University of Illinois
  • B.Sc. (Honors) Physical Therapy; University of Delhi, Delhi, India

Contact

Email:

Sambit.Mohapatra@med.uvm.edu

Phone:
  • 802-656-1716
Office Location:

306C Rowell Building

Office Hours:

By Appointment

Courses Taught

  • PT 305 - Pathophysiology & Pharmacology
  • PT 428 - Research Project
  • PT 346 - Patient Management - Neuromuscular II