Sonia Khurana
HEALTH SCIENCES BLDG
NORFOLK, 23529
Sonia Khurana is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at College of Health Sciences, ODU. She completed her Ph.D. in pediatric physical therapy with special focus on NICU from Manipal University, India and postdoctoral fellowship from Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia. Dr. Khurana teaches Pediatric Physical Therapy, Scientific Inquiry and Clinical Sciences coursework in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program.
Research Interests
Dr. Khurana’s research primarily focuses on early detection and early intervention in children with neurodevelopmental delays. Her past work has explored motor, cognitive and language development in both term and preterm infants. Key projects include:
Promoting neuroplasticity and enhancing neurobehavioral organization and movement repertoire through early intervention in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Improving developmental outcomes in preterm infants during first year of life through providing early intervention and home programs.
Assessing the feasibility of conducting unsedated diffusion tensor imaging in very preterm infants.
Currently, Dr. Khurana is studying brain activity using Electroencephalography (EEG). Her ongoing projects include:
Exploring the feasibility of conducting EEG during walking in typically developing 4-8 years old children.
Comparing neural correlates of walking between typically developing children and those diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
Additionally, Dr. Khurana is investigating the effect of adaptive gymnastics on motor development in children with autism. She is also deeply interested in understanding the dynamics of parent child interactions and their influence on developmental outcomes.