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Dr.Vidya Ramkumar

Dr. Vidya Ramkumar

The SRESHT Lab‘s focus is on translational research that supports meaningful integration of technology (tele-practice) to provide access to early identification and intervention services for children with speech, language, and hearing disorders in rural and semi-urban communities.

The lab is conceptualized and led by Dr. Vidya Ramkumar, an India Alliance Intermediate Fellow in Clinical and Public Health Research, and Professor at Sri Ramachandra Faculty of Audiology and Speech Language Pathology, SRIHER (DU), Chennai.

The geographical distribution and availability of Speech Language Therapy and Audiology services is skewed in India and other low- and middle-income countries. Hence, the needs of a vast population in remote rural and semi-urban regions are still unmet.

Therefore, our projects and implementation support aim to explore alternative models of service delivery with on-field collaborators to bridge service gaps.

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Team

Dr. Vidya Ramkumar: Principal Investigator

Research Collaborators:

  • Prof. Anil Prabhakar – Professor, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, IIT Madras
  • Dr. Shuba Kumar – Social Scientist, Founder Member, Samarth
  • Dr. Mannava Sunny – Health Economist
  • Dr. Subramaniyan B – Professor & Consultant Speech Language Pathologist, Sree Balaji Medical College, Chennai
  • Prof. Roopa Nagarajan – Registrar, SRIHER
  • Dr. Lakshmi V – Professor, Dept. of Speech Language Pathology, SRIHER

Research Fellow: Ms. Deepashree Joshi

PhD Scholars:

  • Ms. Neethi J
  • Ms. Lekha Nair
  • Mr. Vishnu Saravana
  • Ms. Deepashree Joshi

Project Assistant: Ms. K. Gomathy

Accounts Consultant: Ms. Radhika M

Field Workers:

  • Ms. Susila
  • Ms. Aarthi

Ongoing Projects

  1. Project Title:
    “Effectiveness of a comprehensive Tele–Practice model for identification and rehabilitation of children with hearing and speech language disorders in rural communities”

    Funding Agency: DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance (₹2.56 crores)

    Duration: 2020–2025

  2. Project Title:
    “Smartphone-based ‘Speech/speech spectrum in Noise’ hearing screening tests for early identification of hearing loss in children”

    Funding Agency: Sree Padmavathi Venkateswara Foundation (Sree PVF) (₹95 lakhs)

    Duration: 2024–2027

Selected Publications

  1. Neethi Jesudass, Vidya Ramkumar, and Shuba Kumar (2023).
    Needs and readiness to use tele-practice for identification and rehabilitation of children with hearing and speech-language disorders: perceptions of public sector care providers in South India.
    Early Child Development and Care.
    https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2023.2276660
  2. Vidya Ramkumar, Varsha Shankar, Shuba Kumar (2023).
    Implementation factors influencing the sustained provision of tele-audiology services: insights from a combined methodology of scoping review and qualitative semistructured interviews.
    doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2023-075430
  3. Joshi B. D., Ramkumar V., Nair L. S., & Kuper H. (2023).
    Early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) programmes for infants and young children in low-income and middle-income countries in Asia: a systematic review.
    BMJ Paediatrics Open, 7(1), e001752.
  4. Ramkumar V., Nagarajan R., Shankarnarayan V.C., Kumaravelu S., Hall J.W. (2019).
    Implementation and evaluation of a rural community-based pediatric hearing screening program integrating in-person and tele-diagnostic auditory brainstem response (ABR).
    BMC Health Services Research, 19(1), 1.
  5. Ramkumar V., John K.R., Selvakumar K., Vanaja C.S., Nagarajan R., et al. (2018).
    Cost and outcome of a community-based paediatric hearing screening programme in rural India with application of tele-audiology for follow-up diagnostic hearing assessment.
    International Journal of Audiology, 57(6), 407–414.
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