Biography and expertise
Biography
Dr Wesley Matthews is a musculoskeletal physiotherapist, researcher, and lecturer at Southern Cross University. He holds a Bachelor of Health Sciences (Physiotherapy) from Auckland University of Technology and a PhD from Bond University. His clinical and academic career spans senior physiotherapy roles across New South Wales and Queensland, with a focus on evidence-informed musculoskeletal practice. Wes has a strong interest in integrating research into clinical and educational settings, with a particular emphasis on developing clinicians’ diagnostic reasoning and critical thinking. He is committed to advancing physiotherapy practice through research-led teaching and mentorship of future health professionals.
Research
Wesley’s research focuses on improving the assessment and classification of tendinopathy, with a particular emphasis on Achilles tendinopathy. His work centres on the use of diagnostic ultrasound to characterise structural tendon changes and to better understand how these features relate to symptom presentation and clinical outcomes.
A key aspect of his research is the phenotyping of tendinopathy, combining imaging, clinical measures, and emerging analytical approaches to identify meaningful subgroups of patients. This work aims to address the current mismatch between tendon structure and symptoms, and to support more targeted, mechanism-informed management strategies.
His program of research includes systematic and scoping reviews, imaging methodology studies, and the development of novel frameworks for staging and classifying tendon pathology. He has published in journals such as BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, PeerJ, and Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology, and has presented at international conferences including the European Society of Skeletal Radiology.
Teaching
Wesley is a lecturer in the Bachelor of Physiotherapy at Southern Cross University. He contributes to teaching across:
- Introduction to Physiotherapy Practice
- Foundations of Physiotherapy Practice
- Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy
He is also the Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Academic for the undergraduate physiotherapy program, overseeing clinical education and placement integration. His teaching focuses on developing students’ clinical reasoning, diagnostic capability, and capacity to translate evidence into practice.