Shashwati Geed, PT, PhD, is a neurorehabilitation scientist and licensed physical therapist whose research investigates when, how, and why motor recovery occurs after neurological injury. Her work integrates rehabilitation timing, mechanisms of experience-dependent neuroplasticity, and quantitative measurement of recovery to inform more precise and effective rehabilitation interventions.

Dr. Geed is a Tenure-track Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy and Movement Sciences and Associate Faculty in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), where she directs the Neuroplasticity and Motor Recovery (N’MORE) Lab. She also maintains an active clinical practice as a physical therapist at University Medical Center of El Paso, a Level I Trauma and Comprehensive Stroke Center, and the Rehabilitation Hospital of Southern New Mexico, which specializes in inpatient rehabilitation after stroke, brain injury, and spinal cord injury. Her clinical work spans acute and post-acute rehabilitation, informing her lab's research on motor recovery, treatment delivery, and functional outcomes in neurorecovery.

Research. Dr. Geed leads tele-CPASS, a federally funded NIDILRR randomized clinical trial designed to expand access to intensive upper-extremity neurorehabilitation during the early post-stroke sensitive period, when the brain is particularly responsive to motor training. Building on the Critical Periods After Stroke Study (CPASS), on which she was co-first author, tele-CPASS adapts the original in-person CPASS therapy protocol—20 hours of individualized, task-specific upper-extremity training for therapist-guided telerehabilitation. The trial tests whether tele-CPASS is noninferior to in-person CPASS for upper-extremity motor recovery, while also assessing real-world arm use through wearable sensors and community participation. Her broader research investigates the neurophysiological mechanisms of post-stroke plasticity and treatment responsiveness, integrating TMS, EEG, and noninvasive brain stimulation with quantitative measures of motor recovery and everyday function.

A complementary focus of her research is refining how neurological recovery is measured in stroke and spinal cord injury clinical trials. Her work distinguishes motor capacity assessed in the clinic from real-world motor performance, using wearable sensors, quantitative movement analysis, and machine learning. In spinal cord injury, her research examines segmental neurological recovery, prognostication, and factors influencing long-term functional outcomes, including the development of myotome conversion from zero (MC-0) as a recovery metric.

Training and Mentorship. Dr. Geed earned her PhD in Motor Control and Neuroscience from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and completed postdoctoral training at MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital and Georgetown University, supported by competitive fellowships from the American Heart Association, NIH/NINDS StrokeNet, and NIDILRR. She subsequently served as an NIH/NICHD-funded NRNTN K12 Scholar and Research Assistant Professor at Georgetown University.

At UTEP, she teaches neuroscience, neurorehabilitation I and II, and mentors undergraduate, DPT, and doctoral students in neurorehabilitation research. Her mentorship emphasizes scientific independence, rigorous research methods, and meaningful contributions to scholarship. Her trainees have first-authored peer-reviewed publications, presented research at national scientific meetings, and earned competitive fellowships and recognition for their scholarly achievements.

Recognition and service. Dr. Geed received UTEP's 2026 Rising Researcher Award. She serves on the VA Rehabilitation Research and Development Scientific Merit Review Board, is an Associate Editor of the Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation, and serves on the editorial boards of Scientific Reports and Topics in Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation. She also contributes to NIH and NSF grant review and serves on UTEP's Institutional Review Board.