Rachel Cassalia

Dr. Rachel Cassalia is a Clinical Associate Professor in the College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University and serves as the Director of the Military and Veteran Resilience and Health Collaborative (MVRHC). She is an interdisciplinary leader in human performance, military and veteran health, and implementation science, with expertise in translating research into practical solutions that improve health, readiness, resilience, and performance among military personnel, veterans, first responders, and tactical professionals.

Since joining Arizona State University in 2016, Dr. Cassalia has developed nationally recognized educational, research, and community partnerships that bridge academia with government, healthcare, and industry. She previously founded and directed ASU's Master of Science in Strength and Conditioning program, assisting in accreditation, leading curriculum development and workforce partnerships that prepare students for careers in sport performance, sports medicine, and tactical human performance. She continues to mentor graduate and undergraduate students while creating experiential learning opportunities through collaborations with the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, law enforcement, fire service, professional sports organizations, and other sports performance community partners.

As Director of MVRHC, Dr. Cassalia leads interdisciplinary initiatives that integrate education, research, implementation science, and strategic partnerships to optimize the health, resilience, readiness, and human performance of service members, veterans, first responders, and their families. Her research emphasizes translating evidence into practice through the development, evaluation, and dissemination of scalable, evidence-based interventions that improve military readiness and reduce health disparities. As Principal Investigator, she has secured more than $3 million in external funding and leads multidisciplinary collaborations with the U.S. Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, Arizona Department of Health Services, various non-profit organizations, and military installations across the country. Her work spans human performance optimization, social determinants of health, suicide prevention, resilience, Food Is Medicine, tactical physical and mental performance, and cross-cutting prevention strategies, with a strong emphasis on implementation, evaluation, and sustainable systems change.

In addition to her research, Dr. Cassalia is a nationally recognized speaker on military human performance, strength and conditioning, implementation science, tactical readiness, and upstream approaches to improving health outcomes. She has presented nationally and internationally to academic, military, and professional audiences, helping inform prevention strategies, educational programming, and operational decision-making. Her team's work has contributed to statewide Veteran health initiatives and has been recognized in the White House National Strategy for Military and Veteran Suicide Prevention.

Dr. Cassalia is a *Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist with Distinction (CSCS,D) and *Tactical Strength and Conditioning Facilitator with Distinction (TSAC-F,D) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). She remains committed to advancing the science and practice of human performance while building interdisciplinary partnerships that improve the health and well-being of those who serve.