Valerio Tonelli Enrico, PT PhD MSCE

Valerio Tonelli Enrico, PT, PhD, MSCE, is Assistant Professor of Practice in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health and director of the MOSAIC Systems Health & Pain Science Lab. He is a physical therapist and researcher focused on the biological, behavioral, and environmental drivers of chronic pain and recovery after injury. He earned his PhD in Rehabilitation Science from the University of Pittsburgh; his dissertation examined gut microbiome and plasma cytokine associations with pain and disability in chronic low back pain. He also holds a Master of Science in Clinical Epidemiology from Memorial University of Newfoundland, where his thesis used NHANES data to study the Dietary Inflammatory Index and chronic pain, and a Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy from the University of Turin. Dr. Tonelli Enrico’s work integrates preclinical models, human biospecimens and outcomes, and large population datasets to identify mechanisms that can be translated into targeted, scalable interventions. He remains active in clinical practice and in training students at the interface of rehabilitation, public health, and systems science.