Srikant Vallabhajosula shows he’s ‘the ultimate collaborator’ in Distinguished Scholar Lecture

In his Distinguished Scholar Lecture on Feb. 18, Professor of Physical Therapy Education Srikant Vallabhajosula made one thing clear: he couldn’t do his work alone.

“He is the ultimate collaborator,” said Stephen Bailey, professor of physical therapy education, who introduced Vallabhajosula’s lecture in the Gerald Francis Center. “What he does that’s so skillful is he listens to all of us, he then goes into his science area, biomechanics, and he figures out how he can serve our research question with the best biomechanics that can be done in the world.”

The Distinguished Scholar Award is Elon’s top faculty research award and recognizes excellence in scholarship acknowledged by both the Elon community and the large community of the candidate’s discipline. Vallabhajosula earned the honor in spring 2024.

A square peg in a round hole

In the hour-long lecture, Vallabhajosula highlighted his many collaborative research efforts, both with faculty and students. Among his scholarly accomplishments include 59 peer-reviewed publications, one book chapter, 243 national or international peer-reviewed conference presentations and 25 grants.

“Even a square peg like me can fit into a round hole, and that’s mainly because of the opportunities afforded to me by my excellent collaborators,” said Vallabhajosula, who has worked with 39 collaborators throughout his academic career.

Originally from Hyderabad, India, Vallabhajosula joined the faculty at Elon in July 2012 following postdoctoral work at the Nebraska Biomechanics Core Facility in the School of Physical Education and Recreation at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Osmania University in Hyderabad, a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Cincinnati and a doctorate in applied physiology and kinesiology from the University of Florida.

Vallabhajosula has integrated biomechanics research into a variety of fields, including Parkinson’s disease, geriatrics, education, dance and sports – all of which he discussed in Tuesday’s lecture. He noted that his work with Eric Hall, assistant provost for scholarship and creative activity and professor of exercise science; and Caroline Ketcham, associate dean of Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences and professor of exercise science, proved pivotal in his research career at Elon.

“That opened a lot of doors for me where not only did they allow me to collaborate with them, but they also referred some fantastic students, undergrads, who were maybe interested in the physical therapy field, biomechanics, or gait to come work with me,” said Vallabhajosula.

‘Essential to our core’

During Vallabhajosula’s tenure at Elon, his efforts have resulted in his students being first authors on eight publications and making 112 conference presentations.

“It’s very fascinating to see (students) go through this journey of finding their research, which was new to me,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot from my collaborators.”

Overall, 16 of his students in the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program and two undergraduate students he has mentored have received 21 awards, scholarships and grants for their research endeavors.

“He’s got a great rapport with students,” said Bailey. “Biomechanists have a reputation in exercise science for being difficult people to work with (… but) that’s not who he is. He has served us over and over and over again. He’s essential to our core.”

His collaborations extend beyond the School of Health Sciences, including the MVP Project, a collaboration with faculty in the Department of Computer Science studying how virtual reality technology could help patients avoid tripping-related falls. The project, led by Vallabhajosula, Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy Education Alys Giordano and Assistant Professor of Computer Science Pratheep Paranthaman, compares physical navigation around obstacles in the real-world, virtual-reality and mixed reality settings.

Say yes

Integral to Vallabhajosula’s work is outreach to grade-school students interested in biomechanics, including through National Biomechanics Day, an effort each April to teach high school students around the world about the field. The Performing Arts, Exercise Science and Physical Therapy Education departments at Elon have participated in National Biomechanics Day activities since its inception in 2016.

Vallabhajosula has coordinated Elon students and faculty to visit Alamance Career and Technical Center as part of the project and has coordinated virtual National Biomechanics Day events for students in India. In 2023, he also had the opportunity to host an in-person session during a personal trip to India. He has also published research with Elon DPT students on the effort.

“One thing I never envisioned was that I would get scholarly products from this outreach,” said Vallabhajosula. “Sometimes when you say yes to something, it results in a lot of good products.”

Throughout his lecture, Vallabhajosula gave thanks to the many people who helped him along the way, not just in academia but family, with his wife and daughter seated in the front row of the lecture hall.

“The people that paid the most price for this success is the family,” said Vallabhajosula. “My wife who is sitting here, she has been a really constant support, a lot of flexibility because there’s always one more email and one more text message that I need to respond (to).”

Vallabhajosula says he’s looking forward to his upcoming sabbatical but hopes to eventually reach 100 publications, all of it with the help of those around him.

“A lot of my success has come because of support from the institution,” he said.