Asha Vas, Ph.D., OT

Contact

avas@twu.edu
214-689-7771
IHSD 8805

Biography

My research includes integrating principles of cognitive neuroscience into functionally relevant cognitive training/rehabilitation programs. Specially, my research is developing and testing top-down executive function training programs salient to daily-life functioning in adults with traumatic brain injuries (TBI). I recently expanded this approach to improving reasoning skills in college students.

Education

Ph.D., Cognition and Neuroscience, University of Texas at Dallas
M.O.T., St. Catherine's University, St. Paul, Minnesota
B.S., Occupational Therapy, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India

Research Interests

Cognition, Cognitive Rehabilitation, Traumatic Brain Injury, Executive Functions

Latest Articles

Cognition and Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS): Participant-Identified Challenges and Strategies, and Implications for Intervention.
Occupational Therapy In Health Care (2021)
Carol Hollingsworth, Valerie Boyette, Emily Rich, Asha K Vas

Functional Status in Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)
British Journal of Occupational Therapy (2021)
Emily K. Rich, Asha K Vas, Thomas Parsons, Ryan Krone, Brent Goodman

Daily Functionality: Predictive Factors in Adults with POTS
Occupational Therapy In Health Care (2021)
Asha K. Vas, Emily Rich, Wanyi Wang, Meaghan Patterson, Thomas Parsons

Task matters: An investigation on the effect of different secondary tasks on dual-task gait in older adults.
BMC Geriatrics (2021)
Hui-Ting Goh, Miranda Pearce, Asha Vas

Bottom-up and top-down cognitive rehabilitation following mild traumatic brain injury - occupational therapists' perspective: An online survey study
Indian Journal of Occupational Therapy (2021)
Asha K Vas, Anna Luedtke, Eryn Ortiz, Marsha Neville

Daily Life Experiences: Challenges, Strategies, and Implications for Therapy in Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)
Occupational Therapy In Health Care (2020)
Emily Rich, Asha K Vas, Valerie Boyette, Carol Hollingsworth

SMART Program in Chronic Stroke
Annals of International Occupational Therapy (2020)
Asha K Vas, Alisa Woods, Molly Keebler, Stephen Spees

Associations between Self-Generated Strategy Use and MET-Home Performance in Adults with Stroke
Neuropsychological Rehabilitation (2019)
S Burns, D Dawson, J Perea, Asha K. Vas, N Pickens

In-home contextual reality: A qualitative analysis using the Multiple Errands Test Home Version (MET-Home)
Neuropsychological Rehabilitation (2019)
Suzanne Burns, Norlayn Pickens, Diedre Dawson, Jaimee Perea, Asha Vas

Development, Reliability, and Validity of the Multiple Errands Test Home Version (MET–Home) in Adults With Stroke
American Journal of Occupational Therapy (2019)
Suzanne Burns, Diedre Dawson, Jaimee Perea, Asha K Vas, Noralyn Pickens

Neuroplasticity Principles to Promote Functional Cognition in Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
American Occupational Therapy Association Home & Community Health Special Interest Section Quarterly Newsletter (2017)
Emily A White, Asha K Vas

Integrative Executive Function Training in Chronic Stroke- A Case Example.
Journal of Applied Biobehavioral Research (2017)
Asha K. Vas, Robin Abelerra, Sarah Taylor, Emily Rich, Jennifer Burns

Strategies for Success- Get the Gist
ACRM-Newsletter (2017)
Asha K. Vas

Reasoning training in veteran and civilian traumatic brain injury with persistent mild impairment
Neuropsychological Rehabilitation (2016)
Asha Vas, S Chapman, J Spence, M Keebler, G Rodriguez-Larrain

Does Tele-Health Training stack up to On-Site Executive Control Training for youth and Adults with TBI?
Brain Injury (2016)
Asha K. Vas, L. Cook, M. Keebler, S. Chapman

Sensitivity and Specificity of Abstraction using Gist Reasoning Measure in Adults with Traumatic Brain injury.
Journal of Applied Biobehavioral Research (2016)
Asha K. Vas, J. Spence, B. Eschler, S. Chapman

Abstracting meaning from complex information (gist reasoning) in adult traumatic brain injury
Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology (2015)
Asha K. Vas, J Spence, S Chapman

Virtual SMART: Tele-Cognitive Rehabilitation in Youth & Adults with Chronic TBI
Brain Injury (2015)
L Cook, Asha K. Vas, M Keebler

Chapters

Acquired Brain Injury
in Occupational Therapy For Physical Dysfunction | Wolters Group (2020)
Alicia F Lohmann, Asha K Vas

Language impairments in traumatic brain injury: A window into complex cognitive performance
in Handbook of Clinical Neurology: Head Injury | Elsevier (2015)
Asha K. Vas, S B Chapman, L G Cook

Current Projects

Three of my current research projects are:

1. Cognitive-Physical-Functional Correlation in Adults with TBI. Goal of the project is to examine relation between Cognitive, Physical, and Functional performance in chronic TBI.

2. Top down processing in Cognitive rehabilitation in Adults with TBI. Goal of the project is to develop and test ‘top-down’ cognitive assessment and training model in chronic TBI.

3. Postacute SMART study. Goal of the project is to compare two cognitive training programs in postacute TBI populations.

Externally Funded Projects

Cognitive-Motor-Functional Correlation in Adults with TBI
$15,000.00 | 2018
Role: Principal Investigator

Postacute SMART study
$24,000.00 | 2017
Role: Principal Investigator

SMART program in Adults with Chronic Stroke
Woodstock Institute | $10,000.00 | 2015
Role: Principal Investigator

Internally Funded Projects

Characterizing Functional Cognition using Virtual‐Reality in Adults with POTS
TWU Proposal Development Grant Program | $2,625.00 | 2021
Research Grant

Development of Top‐down and Bottom‐up Functional Cognitive Activities Manual
TWU Proposal Development Grant Program | $2,625.00 | 2021
Research Grant

Age‐related dual‐task gait performance: a brain‐behavior study
TWU Proposal Development Grant Program | $4,886.00 | 2021
Research Grant

Gradable Framework for Scored Cognitive Rehabilitation using Virtual Environment Grocery Store (VEGS)
TWU Grant Incentive program | $500.00 | 2021
Research Grant

Age related Dual-Task gait performance
TWU Proposal Development Grant Program | 2020
Research Grant

Characterizing Functional Cognition using Virtual-Reality in Adults with POTS
TWU Proposal Development Grant Program | 2020
Research Grant

Development of Topdown and Bottom-up Functional Cognitive Activities Manual
TWU Proposal Development Grant Program | $2,802.00 | 2020
Research Grant

Top down processing in Cognitive rehabilitation in Adults with TBI
$29,800.00 | 2018
Research Grant

TWU Small Grants
$750.00 | 2016
Research Grant

SMART program in OT Graduate students
$2,000.00 | 2015
Research Grant