Rate My Professor William Levack

Professor William Levack serves as Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Wellington and Head of Campus for the University of Otago, Wellington. A New Zealand Registered Physiotherapist, he earned a Bachelor of Physiotherapy (BPhty), Master of Health Sciences in Rehabilitation (MHealSc), and PhD in Medicine from the University of Otago. Before entering academia, Levack practiced as a physiotherapist in public and private sectors, specializing in rehabilitation for complex brain injuries, and managed services at Capital and Coast District Health Board. Joining the University of Otago, Wellington in 2003, he progressed to Associate Dean of Research and Academic Head of the Rehabilitation Teaching and Research Unit. In January 2020, he assumed the role of Dean and was promoted to Professor in February 2020.

Levack's research examines patient experiences in rehabilitation, goal-setting processes, and interventions to boost patient engagement, with emphasis on neurological and respiratory conditions. His international collaborations span Japan, Italy, Germany, Pakistan, Malaysia, and the UK. A founding member of the Executive Committee of Cochrane Rehabilitation since 2016 and past President of the New Zealand Rehabilitation Association, he has shaped evidence-based rehabilitation practices. Notable contributions include co-editing the book Rehabilitation Goal Setting: Theory, Practice and Evidence (2015) and leading the GUIDE-Rehab reporting guideline (2025). Highly cited papers encompass Goal setting and strategies to enhance goal pursuit for adults with acquired disability participating in rehabilitation and Experience of recovery and outcome following traumatic brain injury: a metasynthesis of qualitative research, amassing over 4,900 citations and advancing rehabilitation sciences.