Dr Sampath Kumar Amaravadi PT, PhD, FHEA, FESC, CRFC, MCSP

• Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCHE), University of Birmingham, 2026
• Postdoctoral Fellowship in Rehabilitation Sciences, Centro Universitário Augusto Motta (UNISUAM), Brazil, 2021-2025
• PhD in Exercise Training in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, India, 2019
• Master of Physiotherapy in Cardiopulmonary Sciences (Intensive Care Unit Management), Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, India, 2015
• Bachelor of Physiotherapy, Durgabai Deshmukh College of Physiotherapy, Dr NTR University of Health Sciences, India, 2013
• Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology (FESC)
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
• Member of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (MCSP)

Dr Sampath Kumar Amaravadi is an academic and Chartered Physiotherapist specialising in cardiorespiratory physiotherapy, exercise rehabilitation and the prevention and management of cardiovascular, respiratory and cardiometabolic conditions. He has more than a decade of academic, clinical and research experience across the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates and India.

He completed a PhD at Manipal Academy of Higher Education examining exercise training in Type 2 diabetes mellitus, following postgraduate training in Cardiopulmonary Sciences at Kasturba Medical College. He subsequently undertook a postdoctoral fellowship in Rehabilitation Sciences at Centro Universitário Augusto Motta (UNISUAM), Brazil, investigating the comparative effects of combined aerobic-resistance training and high-intensity interval training on metabolic and patient-reported outcomes in Type 2 diabetes. In 2026, he completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education at University of Birmingham.

Before joining University of Birmingham, Dr Amaravadi held academic and clinical appointments at Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, India; Gulf Medical University and Thumbay University Hospital, United Arab Emirates; and the University of Chichester, United Kingdom. His experience encompasses physiotherapy education, clinical practice, curriculum development, simulation-based education, assessment, research supervision and programme quality assurance.

At Birmingham, he teaches across the physiotherapy curriculum and holds module leadership responsibilities. He also serves as an Academic Integrity Officer within the School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences and contributes to undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral research supervision.

His research focuses on exercise and physical activity interventions for cardiometabolic and cardiorespiratory conditions, particularly Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity and chronic respiratory disease. Related interests include cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation, exercise testing and prescription, respiratory muscle training, perioperative rehabilitation, critical care rehabilitation, diabetic foot management, digital rehabilitation and evidence synthesis.

Dr Amaravadi is a Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology and has served as an EAPC Young Ambassador Fellow and Social Media Ambassador. He contributes to international scholarly publishing through scientific editorial, associate editor, academic editor and editorial board roles across rehabilitation and health sciences journals. His research has also received international recognition, including the Journal of Wound Care Award for Best Research from a Developing Country.

Dr Amaravadi contributes to undergraduate and postgraduate physiotherapy education, with teaching expertise in cardiorespiratory physiotherapy, clinical reasoning, rehabilitation, long-term conditions, exercise prescription, evidence-based practice and research.

Current teaching and academic responsibilities include:

• LM Long-term Conditions and Rehabilitation - Module Lead
• LH Clinical Skills
• LM Clinical Skills
• LI Bridging the gap: developing skills for practice
• Dissertation and Research project supervision
• Cardiorespiratory physiotherapy
• Exercise testing and exercise prescription
• Clinical reasoning and reflective practice
• Research methods and evidence-based practice

His educational interests include simulation-based education, interprofessional learning, inclusive pedagogy, active learning, assessment and student-centred curriculum design.

Dr Amaravadi currently contributes to doctoral supervision and has extensive experience supervising undergraduate and postgraduate physiotherapy research. He welcomes enquiries from prospective postgraduate researchers interested in the following areas:

• Exercise and physical activity in the prevention and management of non-communicable diseases
• Cardiac rehabilitation and cardiovascular prevention
• Pulmonary rehabilitation and chronic respiratory disease
• Cardiorespiratory physiotherapy
• Exercise testing and prescription
• Type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance and cardiometabolic health
• Obesity and lifestyle interventions
• High-intensity interval training and exercise interventions
• Respiratory muscle training
• Perioperative and postoperative rehabilitation
• Critical care rehabilitation and early mobilisation
• Diabetic peripheral neuropathy and diabetic foot rehabilitation
• Digital and technology-enabled rehabilitation
• Systematic reviews, meta-analyses and evidence synthesis
• Rehabilitation service evaluation and implementation research

Exercise and cardiometabolic health

Dr Amaravadi's principal research programme investigates exercise and physical activity as therapeutic strategies for the prevention and management of cardiometabolic disease. His work has particularly examined Type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, glycaemic control, body composition, physical function and quality of life.

Cardiorespiratory rehabilitation

His cardiorespiratory research encompasses cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation, exercise testing and prescription, respiratory muscle training, chronic respiratory disease and the application of physiotherapy across acute, critical care and rehabilitation settings.

Exercise interventions and evidence synthesis

A substantial component of his research involves systematic reviews and meta-analyses evaluating exercise, rehabilitation and physiotherapy interventions. His methodological interests include evidence synthesis, critical appraisal, clinical research methodology and translation of research evidence into rehabilitation practice

Perioperative and critical care rehabilitation

Dr Amaravadi has also investigated respiratory and functional rehabilitation in surgical and critically ill populations, including inspiratory muscle training, postoperative pulmonary complications, mobilisation and perioperative physiotherapy.

Diabetes and diabetic foot research

His doctoral and related research has examined exercise, insulin resistance, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, foot biomechanics and rehabilitation approaches relevant to diabetic foot prevention and management.

Digital rehabilitation and innovation

A developing strand of his work considers technology-enabled and digitally supported rehabilitation, including mobile health applications, virtual rehabilitation and wearable technologies for cardiorespiratory populations.

Research funding and projects

Dr Amaravadi has contributed to externally and internally funded research projects involving diabetic neuropathy, respiratory rehabilitation, exercise and lifestyle modification. Previous funding includes an industry-supported project for early detection of diabetic peripheral neuropathy, research seed funding from Manipal Academy of Higher Education, a Healthy Lungs for Life grant from the European Lung Foundation, and internal research funding from Gulf Medical University.

Academic and editorial leadership

Dr Amaravadi contributes to international academic publishing through scientific editor, associate editor, academic editor and editorial board roles across physiotherapy, rehabilitation and health sciences journals. His editorial activity includes manuscript assessment, peer-review management, reviewer selection and editorial decision-making.

Fellowships, recognition and professional activity

• Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology (FESC)
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
• European Association of Preventive Cardiology Young Ambassador Fellow, 2021-2023
• European Association of Preventive Cardiology Social Media Ambassador
• Best Research from a Developing Country, Journal of Wound Care Awards, 2019

Books and invited academic contributions

Dr Amaravadi has contributed chapters to international academic textbooks in cardiometabolic and rehabilitation sciences. His recent contributions include a 2026 Springer chapter on metabolic syndrome in adolescents and an invited contribution on overweight, obesity and visceral adiposity to the second edition of the ESC Textbook of Preventive Cardiology.

Membership in Various Professional Bodies:

• Member of The Indian Association of Physiotherapists (L-48617)
• Member of Society of Indian Physiotherapists (2018-2021) ID:0175
• Lifetime membership of Indian Podiatry Association (IPA-306) – India
• Member of American college of sports medicine (ACSM) since the year 2015, ID: 762058
• Member of European Association of cardiovascular prevention and rehabilitation since the year 2015, ID: 705093
• Member of Sports Medicine Australia since the year 2015
• Member of European Respiratory Society since the year 2015, ID:356985
• Member of Emirates Medical Association (EMA) – Membership No: 21-2208
• Member of Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) UK, Registration number: PH131660
• Member of Chartered Society of Physiotherapist, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, UK, Membership Number: 117427
• Member of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Respiratory Care (ACPRC), UK, ACPRC - 101460 

Awards & Recognitions:

• Nominated as European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC) Social Media Ambassador (SoMe) 2023 from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).
• Nominated for the prestigious European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC) Young Ambassador Fellow for the period 2021-2023 from the United Arab Emirates region from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

• Awarded as “The Best Research from a Developing Country” during the Journal of Wound Care (J.W.C.) Awards 2019 held in London, the United Kingdom, on Mar 1, 2019, for the study titled “Photobiomodulation therapy in neuroischaemic diabetic foot ulcers: a novel method of limb salvage.”