Dr Rocco Cavaleri is a Senior Lecturer in the Physiotherapy department at Western Sydney University. Rocco was awarded his PhD in 2023 and also holds a B Health Science (Hons I)/ M Physiotherapy from Western Sydney.

In 2023-2024, Rocco received a prestigious Fulbright Postdoctoral Scholarship and completed the program with the Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy at the University of Southern California (USC). He is also an adjunct assistant professor at USC and an honorary research fellow at Queensland University of Technology. Prior to commencing his PhD, he worked clinically as a physiotherapist across both acute and private practice contexts. 

Rocco currently leads the Brain Stimulation and Rehabilitation (BrainStAR) Lab in the School of Health Sciences. His research is dedicated towards understanding the neurophysiological processes underpinning musculoskeletal and neurological disorders. Rocco uses non-invasive brain stimulation techniques to assess brain changes in response to processes such as pain and motor learning, facilitating the development of novel diagnostic and treatment strategies. 

Rocco is passionate about education and evidence-based teaching practices. He has received several national and international awards in this space, including The Australian Award for University Teaching Excellence (AAUT), WSU Teacher of the Year, and a National AAUT Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning. Rocco's dedication to learning and teaching has also been recognised through his certification as a Senior Fellow of the Academy for Higher Education (Advance HE).