Savitha Sundar, PhD, OTR/L, BCP, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of Texas Medical Branch. She earned her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Western Michigan University and her PhD in Occupational Therapy from Texas Woman’s University.
Her teaching and scholarly interests include neuroscience, cognition, neurorehabilitation, pediatric and school-based practice, and occupation-centered clinical reasoning. Her research focuses on inclusive education, participation, and belonging for students with extensive support needs, with particular interest in how occupational therapy can enhance access and engagement in everyday occupations. She is also interested in technology-supported rehabilitation, including virtual reality–based therapeutics for cognition and neurorehabilitation.
Her 25 years of clinical experience span pediatric school-based, home health, and outpatient settings, as well as adult skilled nursing, home health, outpatient, inpatient, and acute care practice. Her work emphasizes translating research into occupation-centered strategies that support participation, functional performance, and meaningful outcomes.