Rate My Professor Rhonda Orr

Professor Rhonda Orr serves as Professor and Deputy Head of the Sydney School of Health Sciences within the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney. She holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm), Master of Exercise and Sport Science (MExSpSc), and PhD, having completed her Master's and Doctoral studies in exercise and sport science. Orr has built a distinguished career at the University of Sydney over more than two decades, advancing through roles such as Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor in the Discipline of Exercise and Sport Science, and Postgraduate Higher Degree Research Coordinator from 2016 to 2019. In her teaching portfolio, she supervises two PhD students and two Honours students, and has developed innovative group work and assessment strategies for units like High Performance in Sport.

Her research interests focus on exercise physiology, sport-related concussion and early exercise interventions, sports injury epidemiology particularly in rugby league, GPS and microsensor applications in team and court-based sports, anti-doping, and interventions including whole body vibration training, power training, Tai Chi for type 2 diabetes management, and caffeine effects on endurance performance. Orr has produced 136 publications, accumulating over 4,500 citations. Key works include 'Time-Loss Injuries in Sub-Elite and Emerging Rugby League Players' (2017), 'Effect of standing posture during whole body vibration training on muscle activity' (2010), 'Health benefits of Tai Chi for older patients with type 2 diabetes: The Move It for Diabetes Study – A randomized controlled trial' (2009), 'Effect of a divided caffeine dose on endurance cycling performance, perceived exertion, and postexercise energy expenditure' (2003), and 'Application of Global Positioning System and Microsensor Technology in Court-Based Sports' (2016). Her contributions extend to funded projects such as a Multimodal active rehabilitation initiative under a $2.3 million industry partnership grant in 2017 and Strategic Teaching Enhancement Projects grants. Awards include the Harvard Mobility Award (2018), and she engages in professional service and leadership roles including committee memberships.