Rinki Varindani Desai is a medical speech-language pathologist, board-certified swallowing specialist, and digital health consultant with over 15 years of experience in clinical care, education, leadership, and entrepreneurship. She has worked across various healthcare settings in the United States, including acute care hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation, skilled nursing facilities, and multidisciplinary outpatient clinics.
She has been in the Doctor of Speech-Language Pathology program at MGH Institute of Health Professions since 2023, where she is focused on advancing current education and training models for dysphagia management. At the MGH Swallowing and Communication Collaborative, Rinki serves as a Research Associate, contributing to the development of patient-centered interventions for individuals with ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases. Her work focuses on leveraging technology and clinical expertise to enhance patient outcomes and improve healthcare accessibility.
Beyond her role at MGH, Rinki is the Founder of Theratactix Digital Health Consulting and Co-Founder & COO of the Swallowing Training and Education Portal e-learning platform. She is also the Co-Creator of the Dysphagia Therapy mobile app, and Founder of the Medical SLP Forum community. Currently, she is co-leading the very first Healthtech and Innovation Fellowship for healthcare professionals in the United States, scheduled to launch in May 2025 in Boston, MA.
Originally from Mumbai, India, Rinki’s impact extends far beyond borders. Through her work and leadership, she is dedicated to improving the future of dysphagia management and medical speech-language pathology worldwide — bridging gaps, fostering innovation, and empowering clinicians to improve patient care and outcomes.
- BS, Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, AYJ National Institute for the Speech and Hearing Disabled, Mumbai, India
- MS, Communication Sciences and Disorders, UT-Dallas, Dallas, Texas
- SLPD, MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, Massachusetts (In Progress)
• Swallowing and swallowing disorders
• Cognitive-communication disorders
• Digital health and healthcare technology
• Speech-language pathology in neurodegenerative diseases
• Clinical education and leadership in healthcare professions
Rinki has been actively engaged in research, clinical education, and has published and presented on topics related to dysphagia care and medical SLP practice at several national and international meetings over the years.
Selected publications include:
Dysphagia care across the continuum: A multidisciplinary dysphagia research society taskforce report of service-delivery during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Dysphagia
Practice patterns of speech-language pathologists managing dysphagia in dementia: A cross-sectional survey in the United States. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups
A preliminary survey of dysphagia practice patterns among SLPs in India. Journal of Indian Speech Language & Hearing Association
Presbyphagia versus dysphagia: Identifying age-related changes in swallow function. Perspectives of ASHA Special Interest Groups
She has also served in professional leadership roles for organizations like the American Speech-Language Hearing Association, Dysphagia Research Society, and Indian Society for Feeding and Swallowing Disorders.