Holly Reid, OT, PhD Student
pronouns: They/Them
Holly is a Western educated occupational therapist who is an unwanted guest on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the W̱SÁNEĆ peoples. They are Métis on their mother's side and 1st generation Canadian on their father's side, as he is a Scottish immigrant. They completed their masters in occupational therapy in 2019 and has since worked in mental health, public and private practice. They are starting their PhD in September 2021 at the University of British Columbia and will be exploring how the intersection of race, gender, sex, sexuality, disability, education and other aspects of identity influence and are influenced by occupational participation and engagement. They will be investigating the systemic and institutional barriers for LGTBQ2S+ Indigenous folx, and how these factors impede or support occupations such as employment, education, leisure, socialization among others. Holly is trans non-binary and uses they/them pronouns.
Khalilah R. Johnson, PhD, MS, OTR/L
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Assistant Professor of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy University of North Carolina School of Medicine
Khalilah R. Johnson, PhD, MS, OTR/L is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She also serves as an affiliate research faculty member at the Virginia Commonwealth University Center for Cultural Experiences in Prevention, Department of Psychology, in Richmond, Virginia. Broadly, Dr. Johnson's research focuses on the intersections of critical qualitative methodologies, intellectual and developmental disabilities, health services, racial equity, and social justice. Additionally, she is involved in research aimed to address pathways to occupational therapy education for African American students and racial equity in occupational science and occupational therapy curricula. Her work is informed by 15 years of clinical experience spanning the states of Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia.
Musharrat J. Ahmed-Landeryou
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers/They
Musharrat Ahmed-Landeryou is a Senior Lecturer in Occupational Therapy in the Department of Allied Health Sciences in the Institute of Health and Social Care, at London South Bank University, since November 2002. She completed an MSc in Clinical Neurosciences with distinction in 2008. Musharrat also has a Licentiate in Traditional Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and was able to use this while working as part of acute neurorehabilitation within the NHS. Musharrat has contributed to the academic community through webinar and podcast contributions and academic publications. Previously to being a current educator at LSBU, Musharrat has combined clinical experience within both the NHS and private sector. Since November 2020 Musharrat formed and convenes the Race and Cultural Equity Group (RaCEg) for students and staff who identify as racialised Black Asian or Minoritised Ethnicities, and Allyship and Cultural Equity Group (AaCEg) for students and staff who identify as racialised as white, in Allied Health Sciences. These groups enable open discussion in a safe space of flattened hierarchy to discuss topics that matter to each group, to enable belonging and to support the students in equitable educational experiences and as future occupational therapy professionals. Musharrat has an additional role as a Student Success and Antiracist Education Practitioner for Allied Health. Currently Musharrat is a PhD student in Allied Health, broadly the topic is service improvement in occupational therapy.
মুশাররাত আহমেদ-ল্যান্ডারিউ লন্ডন বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের দক্ষিণ ব্যাংক, স্বাস্থ্য বিজ্ঞান ও সামাজিক যত্ন ইনস্টিটিউট-এর অকুপেশনাল থেরাপির সিনিয়র প্রভাষক। তিনি ২০০৮ সালে ক্লিনিকাল নিউরোসায়েন্সে এমএসসি পাস করেছেন। মুশারাত পডকাস্ট এবং একাডেমিক প্রকাশনা সহ একাডেমিক সম্প্রদায়কে অবদান রেখেছেন। পূর্বে, মুশারাত এনএইচএস এবং বেসরকারী স্বাস্থ্যসেবা উভয়ের সাথে মিলিত ক্লিনিকাল অভিজ্ঞতা। মোশাররফের এমন একজনের ভূমিকা রয়েছে যে শিক্ষার্থীর সাফল্য এবং সহযোগী পেশাদার বিভাগগুলির জন্য সমতা এবং ইক্যুইটি শিক্ষাকে সমর্থন করে। মুশারাত পিএইচডি করছেন, বিষয়টি পেশাগত থেরাপিতে পরিষেবা উন্নতি।
Kwaku Agyemang
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Kwaku Agyemang is an Occupational Therapist with a keen interest in working with marginalised or stigmatised groups. He currently works with young men in a prison setting, providing occupation focussed and psychologically informed educational interventions. He has worked in healthcare for over 10 years with experience in mental health rehabilitation and learning difficulties. Kwaku is the host of the “OT and Chill” podcast which discusses topics related to Occupational Therapy and beyond. Kwaku is also one of the founding members of the BAMEOTUK Network, a group of Occupational Therapists who identify as Black, Asian or of a Mixed Heritage/ Ethnicity.
Marie-Lyne Grenier, MScOT, DOT, erg
Pronouns: She/They
I am an occupational Therapist, Faculty Lecturer in the School of Physical and Occupational Therapy at McGill University, and Ph.D. student in the Department of Integrated Studies in Education at McGill University. I identify as a White settler from a working-class background, Queer, and non-binary. I am comfortable with the pronouns she or they (still a topic of self-reflection for me at the moment). I live in Tio’Tia: Ke (land now known as Montreal, Canada), unceeded territory of the Kanien’kehá:ka, Mohawk, Anishinabeg, and Algonquin peoples. I am interested in studying the intersections of White supremacy, capitalism, colonialism, and patriarchy, and healthcare education; specifically, I am aiming to better understand the types of practices that support anti-racist and anti-oppressive healthcare education. I am also interested in exploring the ways in which occupational therapy/healthcare education reifies White supremacy through the support of a carceral logic. I look forward to learning and taking action to disrupt OT together!
Ryan Lavalley PhD, OTR/L
Pronouns: He/Him
Assistant Professor at University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
Dr. Ryan Lavalley is a community occupational therapist and occupational scientist interested in the role occupation plays in creating inclusive, just, and healthy communities. His research and teaching focus on understanding and leveraging the role of occupation and occupational therapy in community initiatives and social transformation. He has 6.5 years of experience as a community OT working with older adults across a variety of initiatives focused on topics from dementia, positive aging frames, and falls prevention to gentrification, queer inclusivity, and racial equity. Dr. Lavalley is passionate about bolstering the role of occupational therapists in fostering positive community change and is excited, as a queer person, to facilitate the panel exploring gender and sexuality in the occupational therapy profession.
Dr. Ryan Lavalley es un terapeuta ocupacional comunitario y un científico ocupacional interesado en el papel que tiene la ocupación en la creación de comunidades inclusivas, justas y saludables. Su investigación y enseñanza se centran en comprender y aprovechar el papel de la ocupación y la terapia ocupacional en las iniciativas comunitarias y la transformación social. Tiene 6.5 años de experiencia como terapeuta ocupacional comunitario trabajando con adultos mayores a través de una variedad de iniciativas centradas en temas que van desde la demencia, envejecimiento positivo y la prevención de caídas hasta la gentrificación, la inclusión queer y la equidad racial. Al Dr. Lavalley le apasiona reforzar el papel de los terapeutas ocupacionales en la promoción de un cambio comunitario positivo y, como persona queer, está entusiasmado de facilitar el panel que explora el género y la sexualidad en la profesión de la terapia ocupacional.
Ana Malfitano
Pronouns: She/Her
Sou Professora Associada na Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Brasil, atuando no curso de graduação em Terapia Ocupacional e no Programa de Pós-graduação em Terapia Ocupacional (cursos de mestrado e doutorado). Meu trabalho direciona-se à área de Terapia Ocupacional Social, no interior do Projeto Metuia. Trata-se de um trabalho coletivo, compartilhado com muitas colegas no Brasil, em defesa de uma atuação na área social em terapia ocupacional.
I am Associate Professor at Federal University of São Carlos, Brazil, working on Occupational Therapy undergraduate and Postgraduate Program of Occupational Therapy (master and PhD). My work is situated on Social Occupational Therapy, in the Metuia Project. It is a collective work that I share with many colleagues in Brazil, advocating for actions in occupational therapy in the social field.
Gwyneth Ataderie
Pronouns: She/Her
Gwyneth Ataderie is a British born Nigerian Occupational Therapist based in London. Having qualified in 2013 from The University of Northampton, Gwyneth has a broad range of experience in community settings such as Social Services and Community Mental Health. As well as her current role in Community Mental Health, Gwyneth dedicates much of her personal time to facilitating support groups for Black Women who live with mental health conditions and strongly advocates for more positive mental health experiences within the Afro-Caribbean Community. Along with this work, she also provides and facilitates networking opportunities for Occupational Therapists globally.
Tunchanok Chunvirut
Pronouns: She/Her
Tunchanok Chunvirut is an Occupational Therapist and holds a master's degree in Mental Health from Chulalongkorn University and Child and Adolescent Mental Health from the University of Northampton. She works at Somdet Chaopraya Institute of Psychiatry, Bangkok, Thailand. In this role, she is responsible for chronic Schizophrenia Patients and adolescent mental health. She intends to help psychiatric patients to have an independent living and its possibilities, she provides rehabilitation programs including job training services that assist the patients to recover and bring them to society.
Dr. Juman Simaan
Pronouns: He/Him
Dr. Juman Simaan (he/him) is a senior lecturer in occupational therapy at Canterbury Christ Church University - UK. He is on the editorial board of the Journal of Occupational Science, and engages in global research and practice networks that attempt to generate discussions about the political and activism aspects of daily activities. Dr. Simaan’s academic and research interests consider the daily lives of Global South communities and marginalised groups in the West. He focuses on the study of occupational injustices and the means to resist these injustices by the communities involved. Simaan’s publications focus on the need to decolonise the disciplines of occupational therapy and occupational sciences to make them relevant to global communities, activists, and social movements, in addition to relevant disciplines such as sociology, geography, anthropology, and education.
Rod Charlie Delos Reyes
Pronouns: He/Him
Charlie is a young occupational therapist that values the concept of occupational justice, especially for the LGBT+ community. Gender and sexuality are expressed through occupations or activities of daily living that should be facilitated and supported wherever a person belongs in the spectrum of human sexuality. He is an advocate of inclusion and believes that we can help each other in the community through any step or movement. For him, in doing research towards gender-affirmative healthcare system, promoting respect even with his small circle, and protecting each member of the LGBT+ community especially in virtual media, he is championing the LGBT+ community.
Currently, he is a clinician, an educator, a researcher, and a student. He is affiliated with different universities. He leads the Open Arms Organization and a volunteer of Red Whistle. Moreover, he is an ally of the LGBT+ community. He resides in the Philippines and working on different roles to perpetuate projects that can enable a just and happy society where the LGBT+ community would be within the circle, not on the margins.
Jaime Leite Jr. OT, Ph.D. Candidate
Pronouns: He/Him/Ele/Dele
Jaime Leite Jr. is an Occupational Therapist with an undergraduate degree from Federal University of São Carlos. He specialized in Mental Health from the School of Medical Sciences of the University of Campinas (FCM-UNICAMP). Currently, Jaime is working on his PhD in the Postgraduate Program in Occupational Therapy at the Federal University of São Carlos (PPGTO / UFSCar). He is the cofounder of the Group Quefazer: Studies and discussions in Social Occupational Therapy; Group Dona Ivone Lara: Occupational Therapy and Black People; and SexGen-OTOS: International Network on Sexualities and Genders within Occupational Therapy and Occupational Science. Jaime is a member of the Metuia Network - Social Occupational Therapy. His research and published work are mainly in the following themes: Dissidence of Genders and Sexualities, Social Occupational Therapy, Undergraduate Education, Professional Practice, Mental Health, Public Health, Ethnic and Racial Issues, and Culture.
Jaime Leite Jr (Ele/Dele), Terapeuta Ocupacional, Doutorando em Terapia Ocupacional
Terapeuta Ocupacional graduado em 2016 pela Universidade Federal de São Carlos. Possui especialização em Saúde Mental (2018) pela Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Universidade Estadual de Campinas (FCM-UNICAMP). Contemplado com bolsa de Doutorado Direto da Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) e atualmente cursa o doutorado em Terapia Ocupacional na Universidade Federal de São Carlos (PPGTO/UFSCar), sob financiamento da mesma. Coordena o Grupo Quefazer: Estudos e discussões em Terapia Ocupacional Social, o Grupo Dona Ivone Lara: Terapia Ocupacional e População Negra e também a Rede Internacional SexGen-OTOS: International Network on Sexualities and Genders within Occupational Therapy and Occupational Science. Integra a Rede Metuia - Terapia Ocupacional Social. Atua principalmente nos seguintes temas: Dissidência de Gêneros e Sexualidades, Terapia Ocupacional Social, Formação Graduada, Prática Profissional, Saúde Mental, Saúde Coletiva, questões étnico raciais e Cultura.
Dr. Sakshi Tickoo
Pronouns: She/Her
Namaste! I’m Dr. Sakshi Tickoo, a queer, brown Occupational Therapist® (BOTh) and Personal Counselor based in Mumbai, India. I’m a new-ish grad actively working in the areas of sexuality, intimacy, relationships, and mental health across the lifespan with a sex-positive, pleasure-focused, queer-inclusive, and trauma-informed care. Other aspects of my work also include collaborating with other allies, advocates, and NGOs worldwide, focusing on sex worker and assault/abuse survivor healthcare.
I’m also the founder of Sex, Love, And OT- a sex-positive, inclusive platform advocating for sexual rights and liberation through education, centering pleasure and facilitating freedom of occupational engagement in sexuality for clients globally.
Isla Emery-Whittington
Pronouns: She/Her
Ko Tainui te waka, Ko Kakepuku te maunga, Ko Waipa te awa, Ko Ngāti Maniapoto te iwi, Tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa. Greetings to the many peoples, mountains, rivers, ancestors and communities gathering together in this space. Greetings to the supporters, speakers and facilitators of good trouble, kind sharing and courageous occupations. I am an occupational therapist and my research is a philosophical exploration of indigenous Māori knowledge and practices of occupation. I co-convene an autonomous network of Māori occupational therapists and am part of a small group building a global Indigenous occupational therapy network. These networks purposefully exist outside of mainstream structures thus enabling practices of self-determination.
Waguma Hassan
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Hassan Waguma is an occupational therapist, mental health researcher, and clinical educator in orthotics and assistive aids working in Uganda.
He teaches clients with physical challenges new skills and vocational activities using locally fabricated aids that fit their needs. Affordable health services in communities, hospitals, and outreach is a key area of his practice.
He has an upcoming research publication on depression in Uganda in September 2021.
He aims to share knowledge and skills with colleagues and advocate for occupational therapy rehabilitation in mental wellness and physical ability.
Ann Sena Fordie
Pronouns: She/Her
Ann Sena Fordie works as an occupational therapist in a Pediatric and Adult Mental health setting in Ghana. She is currently the President of the Occupational Therapy Association of Ghana, the Clinical head of OT Department, Pantang hospital, and Clinical Director with SENA Pediatric therapy (an NGO aimed at supporting children with disabilities with therapy services and offering teacher and parent training to facilitate inclusive education in Ghana). Ann has co-facilitated a support group for adults with mental health challenges in Ghana. Ann is committed to encouraging social inclusion for children and adults with disabilities in Ghana.
Kristel Yamat
Pronouns: She/Her
Kristel Yamat is an Occupational Therapist residing in the Philippines. She conducts group therapy for children and adolescents in a program called PEERS. Aside from group therapy sessions, she also works as a pediatric occupational therapist and a part-time lecturer at Angeles University Foundation. She is also pursuing her graduate degree in occupational therapy. Her research focuses on adolescent to adulthood transitions as she is passionate about providing intervention for adolescents with disabilities and their community integration.
Razia Sultana
Pronouns: She/Her
Razia Sultana is a Mental Health Occupational Therapist in Bangladesh. She is working in mental health for more than 6 years. She has also completed her master's degree in Public Health. She is directly involved with the first Mental Health day center in Bangladesh from the organization named Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP). She is also an executive member of the Bangladesh Occupational Therapy Association (BOTA). Razia is a Trainer of Mental Health First Aid Training. She is also a mental health crisis preparedness responder in her country.
Deborah Murphy
Pronouns: She/Her
Deborah Murphy is the manager of the Wellbeing Centre, an Occupational Therapy led prison wing/day service at HMP Pentonville, a busy London prison in the UK. Deborah has worked as an Occupational Therapist within mental health services for twenty-five years, largely specialising in working with those with mental health issues who come into contact with the criminal justice system. Deborah has designed an award-winning service serving the culturally diverse boroughs of North London. From working with those who have experienced lives of multiple disadvantage, Deborah has developed an interest in occupational justice, and the impact of disproportionate representation of minoritized groups in the justice system.
Deborah has undertaken postgraduate training in ‘Psychosocial Perspectives of Personality Disorder’ at the University of East London, and is currently studying for an advanced masters in Occupational Therapy with the aim of contributing to the field of research for Occupational Therapy in the justice system. Deborah regularly lectures on Occupational Therapy in prisons at universities within the UK, and further afield. She represents AHP's on the advisory board for the quality network of mental health in prisons at the college of Psychiatry and sits on the steering group at the ministry of justice looking at implementation of mindfulness in the justice system.
Sheela Roy Ivlev
Pronouns: She/Her
Sheela Roy Ivlev is a Bengali American occupational therapist based in San Francisco, the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone, specializing in wellness and mental health. She has worked for top Bay Area hospitals, San José State University as a clinical educator and is currently running a wellness-based virtual practice. She is committed to removing the barriers to care that keep people from accessing health and wellness services.
শীলা রায় ইভলেভ সুস্থতা এবং মানসিক স্বাস্থ্যের প্রতি বিশেষজ্ঞ, রামায়তুশ ওহলোনের অনাবৃত পৈতৃক জন্মভূমি সান ফ্রান্সিসকোতে অবস্থিত একটি বাঙালি আমেরিকান পেশাগত চিকিত্সক। তিনি ক্লিনিকাল শিক্ষক হিসাবে সান জোসে স্টেট ইউনিভার্সিটির শীর্ষ বে এরিয়া হাসপাতালগুলির পক্ষে কাজ করেছেন এবং বর্তমানে তিনি সুস্থতা ভিত্তিক ভার্চুয়াল অনুশীলন পরিচালনা করছেন। তিনি সেই যত্নের প্রতিবন্ধকাগুলি অপসারণে প্রতিশ্রুতিবদ্ধ যা স্বাস্থ্য ও সুস্থতা পরিষেবাগুলিতে অ্যাক্সেস থেকে মানুষকে রক্ষা করে।
Aimee Isaacs
Pronouns: She/Her
Aimee Isaacs (she/her) is an occupational therapist based in Cape Town, South Africa. After graduating from the University of Cape Town in 2007, she pursued a career in varied fields of OT, largely focused on child development, developmental disabilities and adult mental health. She currently works for a non-profit organization developing training and educational resource material for caregivers and service providers of clients with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
In 2020 she launched The Self-care Studio, an online mental health and wellness platform which aims to destigmatize mental health and make mental health activities such as relaxation exercises, stress and anxiety management more accessible and affordable.
Anna Braunizer
Pronouns: She/Her
Hi! My name is Anna. I was born in the Stoke Mandeville hospital in England (also where the Paralympic games originated), christened in Alpbach, Österreich and I immigrated to Canada the day after my 6th birthday. Today, I'm a white, bisexual, and currently non-disabled occupational therapist who lives, works, and plays on the unceded and traditional lands of the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations of the lək̓ʷəŋən peoples, W̱SÁNEĆ First Nations (Tsartlip, Tseycum and Tsawout), T'Souke, Pauquachin, Malahat, Pacheedaht, Ts'uubaa-asatx, Snuneymuxw, and Halalt Nations. These lands are known colonially as the settler communities of Southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands.
Road to OT: In grade 10, I read 'Accidents of Nature' by disability rights activist, Harriet McBryde Johnson. The book opened my eyes to ableism for the first time (not the last), and I decided I wanted a career where I worked with people as we figured out how they could do what they want in life. Much later, near the end of my fifth year of my undergraduate psychology degree, I was out for a kayak paddle while volunteering with Power to Be , a local adaptive adventure recreation organization, when a staff member shared with me that my ideal career fit with occupational therapy. I went to the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapist's website, reached out to a bunch of local occupational therapists to shadow, and discovered that it was a pretty great fit. From there, I went to Dalhousie University for my masters and I currently practice occupational therapy in private practice in the community; this means that I meet and work with people in their homes, community spaces, workplaces, or our clinic, so that they can they can return to their valued occupations after injury - or stay living well in their communities as they grow older.
Laura Yvonne Bulk, Ph.D., OT (Reg. BC), BSW
Pronouns: She/Her
https://open.library.ubc.ca/cIRcle/collections/ubctheses/33426/items/1.0395861
https://www.grad.ubc.ca/campus-community/meet-our-students/bulk-laura-yvonne
As a Disabled occupational therapist and scholar, my very presence seems to disrupt. I am a daughter, cousin, friend, woman, femtor, Dutch settler, first-generation university student, a learner, teacher, and a JEDI (justice equity diversity inclusion) activist.
I am privileged to engage with learners in Master of OT and pre-OT/PT programs, as a guest in a medical residents' program, and in Rehabilitation Sciences. Although not all of my teaching is explicitly about critical disability perspectives and dismantling ableism and disablism, these perspectives deeply inform my practice.
My goals are to enhance belonging in my communities, local and global, and to make significant contributions to knowledge generation that will help create positive change. As a scholar and activist, I do this by sharing space and showing up, and remaining a humble learner, ready to listen to courageous stories.
These are significant occupations in my life. Others include making food for people I care about, being with my spiritual family, and walking with friends.
Zipporah Brown, OTD, OTR/L, CNS; DOT/Assistant Professor
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Zipporah Brown is an Assistant Professor and Academic Fieldwork Coordinator whose work has focused on the overall wellness of marginalized populations by overcoming occupational deprivation through engagement. She received her Master’s in Occupational Therapy in 2016 and Doctorate of Occupational Therapy in 2018.
Dr. Brown’s doctorate focused on increasing quality of life through occupational engagement for individuals with serious mental illness, transitioning from homelessness; additionally, she worked with college students at USC’s Faculty Practice using Lifestyle Redesign to address psychosocial barriers impacting academic success. Her knowledge and training was demonstrated through program development, implementation and outcome analysis. Dr. Brown served as the principal investigator of a research team in 2019 focused on increasing QOL in an urban community.
Dr. Brown co-founded and was president of the first DEI organization within the USC OT department; she continues to advocate as a member of the OTAC Advisory Council, Ad Hoc DEI Committee and as the faculty advisor for the COTAD student chapter at WCU.
Dave Thomas
Pronouns: He/Him
Dave S. P. Thomas is an Occupational Scientist (with a remit in social justice), Diversity and Inclusion Specialist and Doctoral Researcher. His doctoral research adopts a ‘race-focused’ approach to explore the relationship between university students’ perceptions of the cultural sensitivity of the curriculum and its impact on their engagement (as measured by their interaction with teachers and their interest in their program of study). This research, and his scholarly outlook, grows from a deep understanding of contemporary structural inequalities. He brings an intersectional Critical-Race-Theory perspective to both his teaching, research scholarship. He is the lead editor of Doing Equity and Diversity for Success in Higher Education (Thomas and Arday, 2021), a book that illuminates the dynamic interplay between historical events and discourse and more sophisticated and racialized acts of violence. He is the lead editor of Towards Decolonising the University: A Kaleidoscope for Empowered Action (Thomas and Jivraj, 2020), a book that amplified the silenced voices of students of colour in the academy. Dave is also the co-editor of Diversity, Inclusion and Decolonisation: Practical Tools for Improving Teaching, Research and Scholarship (Day, Lee, Thomas and Sipckard, 2021) and has numerous publications and research in the areas of ‘race’, racial justice, inequality, educational psychology, occupational justice and social justice. Dave a Diversity and Inclusion specialist at the University of Kent and Consultant to Advance HE on inclusion and equality. He is also a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and member of the Health and Care Professions Council EDI Forum.