Sayali Amarapurkar has a Ph.D in Family Social Science (2004) from University of Minnesota and a Masters in Human Development from University of Mumbai, India (1997). While teaching undergraduate courses in Family Systems and Diversity (2004-2008) and doing Research with Dr. Sharon Danes on Farm Family Businesses (2001-2009) both at University of Minnesota; she honed her research skills and further developed her interests in racially and ethnically diverse families in Minnesota.

Her doctoral dissertation titled Childcare Experiences of African Immigrant Families in Minnesota has been published as a book and she has also authored a policy brief based on her findings. Research and writing is her passion and she has published for a variety of audiences including book chapters, peer reviewed journal articles, research reports, policy briefs and blogs.

Her research and practice interests are in ‘Boosting community engagement to promote health and harmony in immigrant families in the US’. Her volunteer research position with SEWA –AIFW, a non-profit organization that provides services to vulnerable and underserved South Asian population living in Minnesota, led to SAHAT (South Asian Health Assessment Tool) Report: An exploratory study of chronic health conditions facing South Asian community in Minnesota.

In 2014 she along with a colleague co-founded a non-profit organization called AshaUSA with a mission to promote health and harmony in the South Asian community. As a part of it she conducts community research and culturally specific programs in the area of health, education and family life. As a South Asian cultural consultant, she focuses on increasing awareness about South Asian culture and family dynamics among American professionals in the fields of education, law, healthcare and government agencies. She is active in spreading information about South Asian parenting practices and culture to various K-12 schools in Minnesota.

Sayali has collaborated with University of Minnesota, Minnesota Department of Health and other organizations to carry out research on physical and mental health and resource needs of South Asian families.

Dr. Amarapurkar is a community mentor to undergraduate and graduate students in their community research projects with AshaUSA. She also serves as a community grants reviewer on the Community Engagement to Advance Research and Community Health (CEARCH) Grants Review committee at Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) at University of Minnesota. 

She is a voracious reader and loves to blog and do photography. She lives in Edina, Minnesota with her husband and two sons.