Ketaki Inamdar, PT, PhD

Assistant Professor

Organization:

West Virginia University School of Medicine

Department:

Human Performance - Physical Therapy

Classification:

Faculty

• PhD, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2022
• MPT, Manipal College of Health Professions, 2016

Select Publications

Inamdar K, Khurana S. Therapy-based strategies to support tummy time in infants post-hospital discharge: A scoping review protocol. PLoS One. 2025;20(5):e0324435. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0324435. eCollection 2025. PubMed PMID: 40435267; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC12118841.

Inamdar K, Tripathi T, Molinini RM, Fang W, Salgaonkar A, Dusing SC. Relationship Between Prone Skills and Motor-Based Problem-Solving Abilities in Full-Term and Preterm Infants During the First 6 Months of Life. Dev Psychobiol. 2024 Sep;66(6):e22525. doi: 10.1002/dev.22525. PubMed PMID: 38988125; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC11245169.

Inamdar K, Dusing SC, Thacker L, Pidcoe PE, Finucane S, Chu V. Tummy Time Tracking: Examining Agreement Between Parent Recall and Direct Observation in Infants. Am J Occup Ther. 2024 Jul 1;78(4). doi: 10.5014/ajot.2024.050521. PubMed PMID: 38848284; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC11312063

Inamdar K, Khurana S, Dusing SC. Effect of Contingency Paradigm-Based Interventions on Developmental Outcomes in Young Infants: A Systematic Review. Pediatr Phys Ther. 2022 Apr 1;34(2):146-161. doi: 10.1097/PEP.0000000000000873. PubMed PMID: 35184076.

Kretch KS, Koziol NA, Marcinowski EC, Kane AE, Inamdar K, Brown ED, Bovaird JA, Harbourne RT, Hsu LY, Lobo MA, Dusing SC. Infant posture and caregiver-provided cognitive opportunities in typically developing infants and infants with motor delay. Dev Psychobiol. 2022 Jan;64(1):e22233. doi: 10.1002/dev.22233. PubMed PMID: 35050510

Inamdar, K., Molinini, R. M., Panibatla, S. T., Chow, J. C., & Dusing, S. C. (2021). Physical therapy interventions to improve sitting ability in children with or at-risk for cerebral palsy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Developmental medicine and child neurology, 63(4), 396–406. https://doi.org/10.1111/dmcn.14772

Kretch, K. S., Koziol, N. A., Marcinowski, E. C., Kane, A. E., Inamdar, K., Brown, E. D., Bovaird, J. A., Harbourne, R. T., Hsu, L. Y., Lobo, M. A., & Dusing, S. C. (2022). Infant posture and caregiver-provided cognitive opportunities in typically developing infants and infants with motor delay. Developmental psychobiology, 64(1), e22233. https://doi.org/10.1002/dev.22233

Inamdar, K., Khurana, S., & Dusing, S. C. (2022). Effect of Contingency Paradigm-Based Interventions on Developmental Outcomes in Young Infants: A Systematic Review. Pediatric physical therapy : the official publication of the Section on Pediatrics of the American Physical Therapy Association, 34(2), 146–161. https://doi.org/10.1097/PEP.0000000000000873

Brown, S. E., Miller, M., Darring, J., Inamdar, K., Salgaonkar, A., Burnsed, J. C., Stevenson, R. D., Shall, M. S., Harper, A. D., Hendricks-Munoz, K. D., Thacker, L. R., Hyde, M., & Dusing, S. C. (2023). Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on a Clinical Trial: A Quantitative Report on Study Engagement and Strategies. Pediatric physical therapy : the official publication of the Section on Pediatrics of the American Physical Therapy Association, 35(4), 439–448. https://doi.org/10.1097/PEP.0000000000001036

Publication Link

Google Scholar Link

pediatriC neuRomotor Assessment anD functional rEhabilitation (PI:  K. Inamdar) link:   CRADLE LAB

Pediatric Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation

Research interests:

I lead the CRADLE Lab (pediatriC neuRomotor Assessment anD functionaL rEhabilitation), which focuses on developing innovative assessment tools for the early detection of motor control and motor learning deficits in infants and young children at risk for developmental disabilities. Our work bridges pediatric rehabilitation, biomedical engineering, and developmental psychology.

In previous studies, we demonstrated the feasibility of using wearable technologies such as accelerometers to accurately track infant behaviors like tummy time in naturalistic home settings. Currently, we are leveraging artificial intelligence to automate kinematic assessments of infant posture, with a particular focus on postural control during prone play. This work is being validated using gold-standard 3D motion capture and surface electromyography in collaboration with Dr. Gritsenko.

Another core area of research in our lab focuses on infants with prenatal substance exposure. We use play-based assessment tools to examine how prenatal exposures affect early motor control and learning. This line of work includes the development of stakeholder panels to support patient-engaged research and to better understand community priorities.

I am passionate about mentoring students from a wide range of disciplines. The CRADLE Lab currently includes students from exercise physiology, neuroscience, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and engineering. I am also an active mentor in the RAP and INTRO programs and welcome volunteers interested in our research areas.

Specific Areas of Interest

• Technology-based tools for early detection of motor delays in infants using wearable sensors and AI-based pose estimation
• Telehealth-driven assessment and intervention models for early intervention
• Early neurodevelopment in infants with prenatal substance exposure
• Infant physical activity, including tummy time, and its role in motor health and nutrition

Grants

Current Grants

• Principle Investigator, Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy, A Novel AI-Based Approach for Quantitative Assessment of Prone Motor Control in Infancy: A Proof-of-Concept Study, 2024-2025 ($10,000)
• Principle Investigator, West Virginia Clinical and Translational Science Institute- Open Grant, Mobile Minds: Evaluating Learning and Memory in Infants with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, 2024-2026 ($50,000)
• Co-Investigator (PI-Gritsenko V), West Virginia Clinical and Translational Science Institute- Jumpstart Grant, Whole Body Model for Quantitative Assessment of Motor Development in Infants, 2024-2025 ($10,000)
• Principle Investigator, IMPACT-WV HRSA, Digitally delivered neurodevelopmental surveillance for infants with prenatal substance exposure, 2025-2026 ($12,000)

Completed Grants

• Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy Research Grant, 2023 (Role:  PI)
• Lead student investigator, Center for Smart Use of Technologies to Measure Real World Outcomes (C-STAR), Remote tracking of tummy time using wearable sensors in term and preterm infants: A validation study, 2021-2022 ($25,000)