Mehdi Rassafiani

Mehdi Rassafiani serves as Associate Professor in Occupational Therapy at Charles Sturt University's School of Allied Health, Exercise and Sports Sciences in Port Macquarie. With over 30 years of international experience across Jordan, Iran, Kuwait, and Australia, he has established himself as a leading expert in paediatric occupational therapy specializing in cerebral palsy interventions and disaster recovery applications.

His academic credentials include:

• Bachelor of Occupational Therapy from Iran University of Medical Sciences
• Master of Occupational Therapy from University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences
• PhD in Occupational Therapy from University of Queensland

Professor Rassafiani's research program centers on developing innovative parent training frameworks including the Training Special Care for Parents (TSCP) and Parent-to-Parent programs for caregivers of children with cerebral palsy. His work bridges clinical practice with rigorous tool development, focusing on culturally adapted assessment instruments and telehealth applications for underserved populations. Current international collaborations with Australian, Iranian, and Kuwaiti colleagues aim to validate and implement the 'Healthy Mother Healthy Family' program across Middle Eastern contexts.

Analysis of his recent publication trajectory reveals three dominant themes: telehealth solutions for post-disaster pediatric rehabilitation, cross-cultural validation of assessment tools (particularly Persian-language adaptations), and family-centered intervention models. His work consistently emphasizes practical implementation in resource-limited settings while addressing psychosocial dimensions of disability.

He has mentored over 50 graduate students through complete research cycles from topic conceptualization to knowledge translation. His professional activities include national curriculum development, Royal Far West Bushfire Recovery Program evaluation, and advancing the Key Worker Model in early childhood services. Current grant activities focus on integrating the Healthy Mother Healthy Family program with TSCP for comprehensive Middle Eastern implementation.

Professor Rassafiani maintains active international research teams across Australia, Iran, and Kuwait, with current projects examining disaster resilience in remote communities, toileting interventions for cerebral palsy, and machine learning applications in neurorehabilitation. His future work prioritizes scaling telehealth solutions for post-disaster recovery while expanding the cultural validation of occupational therapy assessment tools.