Meryl Alappattu

Meryl Alappattu is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Florida's College of Public Health and Health Professions. Her research focuses on chronic pain, pelvic pain, rehabilitation, and women's health, with particular emphasis on conditions like endometriosis, opioid use disorder, and outcomes following gender-affirming surgery. She investigates pain modulation mechanisms, self-management strategies for urinary incontinence, and implementation science for cancer rehabilitation programs.

• Education: DPT and PhD (specific institutions unspecified)

Her work bridges clinical practice and research, addressing gaps in care for underserved populations such as transgender individuals and rural women. Notable contributions include systematic reviews on hysterectomy outcomes and scoping reviews on gender-affirming surgery complications. She leads grants funded by NIH and VA, focusing on mechanisms of pain modulation and cancer rehabilitation navigation programs.

Key research trends include exploring sex differences in pain-alcohol interactions, analyzing brain connectivity changes post-exercise, and optimizing interventions for pelvic floor disorders. She collaborates on cross-disciplinary projects combining neuroimaging, qualitative methods, and implementation strategies.

Grants include principal investigator roles for studies on endometriosis pain phenotyping and mechanisms of pain modulation, alongside co-investigator work on placebo analgesia mechanisms. She presents nationally/internationally on topics like musculoskeletal consequences of gender-affirming surgery and cancer rehabilitation navigation.

Labs/teams: Active in interdisciplinary pain research and cancer rehabilitation initiatives within the University of Florida's physical therapy department.