Sumathilatha Sakthi Velavan, MBBS, DGO, MS

Biography

Dr. Sumathi Velavan (Sumathilatha Sakthi Velavan) is an Associate Professor of Anatomy in the Department of Anatomy and Pathology at Marian University Wood College of Osteopathic Medicine (MU-WCOM). She is an experienced clinician and anatomist with a strong background in medical education. Dr. Velavan primarily teaches anatomy, histology, and pathology to preclinical osteopathic medical students and serves as the course director of the Essential Clinical Anatomy and Development course at MU-WCOM. Before joining Marian University, she taught osteopathic medical students at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in New York.

Dr. Velavan earned her medical degree in India, where she also completed a residency in obstetrics and gynecology. She later specialized in anatomy by earning a master’s degree in surgery (MS) in the field. In addition to providing patient care, she taught multiple subdisciplines of anatomical sciences in allopathic medical schools in India for nearly ten years. Her clinical background enriches her teaching with a strong emphasis on clinical relevance in anatomy education, and she is passionate about using innovative teaching methods to support student learning.

Dr. Velavan has contributed to national osteopathic assessment as an item writer and reviewer for the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examinations (NBOME). In recognition of her excellence in teaching and evaluation, she was named a Fellow of the National Academy of Osteopathic Medical Educators (NAOME) in 2020. Her dedication to education has earned her multiple honors, including the Frank Gray Teacher of the Year Award from TouroCOM in 2017 and several faculty awards from MU-COM’s Student Government Association, including the Outstanding Biomedical Science Faculty, Outstanding Clinical Faculty, and Advisor of the Year.

Clinical/Research Interests

Dr. Velavan is immensely interested in researching rare yet clinically significant anatomical variations. She has presented and published her findings at many academic conferences and peer-reviewed specialty journals. Her research output has contributed to the existing knowledge of Anatomy and other clinical specialties, which depend heavily on the expertise of Anatomy. Dr. Velavan has guided over sixty medical students from TouroCOM and MU-WCOM in researching clinically significant anatomical variations and directed their scholarly activities. Most of her mentees have presented annual meetings of the American Association of Clinical Anatomists and transformed their work into peer-reviewed research publications.

Dr. Velavan is also interested in research on innovative medical education. Her medical education research analyzing the effectiveness of integrating virtual microscopy podcasts in Histology teaching in Osteopathic medical education was recognized by the Society of Osteopathic Medical Educators (SOME) of AACOM with the SOME Innovation in Medical Educator Award. Dr. Velavan, in collaboration with her peer faculty, is currently involved in a study on integrated learning activity assessments and their impact on students’ learning outcomes, as well as the role of peer-guided learning in the anatomy laboratory.
 

Recent Publications

Young, M, Zavitsky, A, Niceley, J, Battiston, G, Sakthi Velavan, S. A unique variation of the jugular veins and its clinical significance. Folia Morphologica, 2024, 83 (4).

Dykstra, C., Dwenger, E., Parent, E., Sakthi Velavan, S. Extracranial hypoglossal neurofibroma with a variant ansa cervicalis: a case report. Surgical and Radiological Anatomy, 2023, 45, 297-302.

Kosnik, N., Kowalski, T., Lorenz, L., Valacer, M., Sakthi Velavan, S. (2023). Anatomicalreview of internal jugular vein cannulation. Folia Morphologica, Published online. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36794685/

Sakthi-Velavan S, Zahl S. Integration of Virtual Microscopy Podcasts in the Histology Discipline in Osteopathic Medical School: Learning Outcomes. Anat Sci Educ. 2022 April 2. doi: 10.1002/ase.2181

Bennett K, Vincent T, Sakthi-Velavan S. The patellar ligament: A comprehensive review. Clin Anat. 2022 Jan;35(1):52-64.

Baugher E, Batarseh T, Becker A, Cantu A, Carr E, Sakthi Velavan S, Multiple Osteochondromas Comorbid With Enlarged Parietal Foramina, Elongated Styloid Processes, and Tibiofibular Synostosis: A Case Report and Review of Literature, American Journal of Clinical Pathology, 2021;aqa a282.

Schmid A, Petrovic M, Akella K, Pareddy A, Sakthi Velavan S, "Getting to the Heart of the Matter: Myocardial Injury, Coagulopathy, and Other Potential Cardiovascular Implications of COVID-19", International Journal of Vascular Medicine, vol. 2021, ArticleID 6693895, 16 pages, 2021.

Duraipandian-Sendiladibban S, Hoban K, Sakthi-Velavan S, et al. (December 30, 2020) A Unique Case of Popliteal Artery Thrombosis in Isolated Prothrombin Gene Mutation. Cureus 12(12): e12376.

Gencheva R, Gibson B, Garugu S, Forrest A, Sakthi-Velavan S, A unilateral pelvic kidney with variant vasculature: clinical significance, Journal of Surgical Case Reports, Volume 2019, Issue 11, November 2019.