Elias Mpofu

Elias Mpofu is an Honorary Professor of Health Sciences at the University of Sydney's Faculty of Health Sciences. He previously served as Head of the Discipline of Rehabilitation Counselling from 2008 to 2016, providing leadership in teaching, research, and service for graduate programs in rehabilitation counselling. Mpofu holds a PhD in Rehabilitation Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1999) and a DEd. A certified rehabilitation counsellor (CRC), he is a Fellow of the Australian Society of Rehabilitation Counsellors (FASROC) and a Member of the Australian Psychological Society (MAPS). His academic career includes appointments as Professor of Health Sciences at the University of North Texas, Visiting Professor at the University of Johannesburg, Adjunct Research Professor at Western Sydney University's Translational Health Research Institute (2019-2022), former Professor of Rehabilitation Services at Pennsylvania State University, Affiliate Professor of Rehabilitation Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Graduate Faculty at the University of Kentucky. He has also held positions at universities in Africa including University of Venda, University of the North, University of Zimbabwe, University of Botswana, Queensland University of Technology, and University of the Witwatersrand.

Mpofu's research focuses on sustainable health and wellbeing, rehabilitation counselling, disability research applying ICF guidelines, and the design, implementation, and evaluation of community-oriented health services. He has authored or co-authored over 200 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters, six books—including Rehabilitation and Health Assessment: Applying ICF Guidelines (2010, with Thomas Oakland) and Counseling People of African Ancestry (2011)—with his work cited over 7,800 times according to Google Scholar. Mpofu has received research awards from the South African National Research Foundation, Australian Research Council, US National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. He is Editor of the Journal of Psychology in Africa and the Australian Journal of Rehabilitation Counselling, and consulting editor for eight other journals including Psychological Assessment. At the University of Sydney, he served on numerous committees and held roles such as Chair of the Rehabilitation Psychology Interest Group of the Australian Psychological Society (2014-2015), panel member of the Australian ICF Disability and Rehabilitation Research Program, advisory committee member of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Health Workforce Development in Rehabilitation and Long Term Care (2012-2017), and examiner for the behavioral health module of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

Professional Email: elias.mpofu@sydney.edu.au