Researcher · Speaker · Advocate
BiaKaoriMi
Research, talks, and commentary on accessibility, aging, and inclusion, grounded in academic rigor and lived experience, in English and Portuguese.
As Seen In
Recent Appearances
Research Born from Lived Experience
I am a researcher and advocate specializing in accessibility, urban infrastructure, and population aging. Born and raised in Brazil with a huge mix of Japanese culture, I've always had an unstoppable curiosity about the world. My research doesn't stay hidden in academic papers. I've always believed theory and practice must walk together.
My experiences as a disabled person and as a Brazilian-Japanese mixed-heritage woman have shaped a unique worldview that I share through talks, courses, and publications in multiple languages.
Passionate about languages, Japanese cuisine, animanga, and much more. I can't get through a day without tea (no fruit teas, please) or something to read.
See Full ExperienceResearch Focus
Pillars of Study
Six areas that keep converging, whatever the starting point.
Population Aging
What Japan's early aging can teach Brazil.
Accessibility & Disability Policy
Where the law promises more than the street delivers.
Japan-Brazil Relations
Diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties between both.
Rare Disease Advocacy
Patient representation for conditions too rare to name.
Inclusive Design
What gets built when disabled people help design it.
Identity & Diaspora
What two cultures teach that neither teaches alone.
Health & Rare Disease Advocacy
Living with FD/MAS
I live with two ultra-rare conditions: Fibrous Dysplasia (FD) and McCune-Albright Syndrome (MAS). A GNAS gene mutation that affects my bones, endocrine system, and mobility. My first fracture was at age one. It took three years to get a diagnosis. Today I advocate in Brazil and the USA.
01 · The Diagnosis
First Fracture at One Year Old
FD makes bones brittle. MAS affects hormones and skin. Three years passed before my parents found answers. It remains very rare and hard to diagnose.
02 · The Alliance
First Latin American FD/MAS Advocate
Since 2023, I advocate in both Brazil and the USA. I've translated official content to Portuguese for the first time and co-hosted the first global patient meeting.
03 · The Goal
Knowledge Across Borders
I document my story for patients, families, and anyone who wants to understand what invisible disability actually looks like in daily life.
Work With Me
How I Can Help You
Researcher
Academic Collaborations
Available for research partnerships, peer review, and expert consultation on accessibility, aging, disability policy, and Japan-Brazil comparative studies.
Speaker
Events & Panels
Academic conferences, corporate events, media panels, and patient advocacy gatherings. Available in English and Portuguese, in-person or online.
Content Creator
Media & Consultations
Expert commentary for journalists plus consultations on accessibility and rare disease content for social media and broadcast.
Research Areas
Population AgingAccessibility & InclusionJapanese CultureUrban InfrastructureRare Disease AdvocacyInclusive Fashion
Signature Talks
- What Japan's Super-Aged Society Teaches the Rest of Us
- One in a Million, Twice: Living with Two Rare Diseases
- Accessibility Is Infrastructure
- The Bridge: What 2 Million Japanese Brazilians Reveal About Identity
- Listening as Medicine: What Rare Disease Communities Know About Empathy
Full descriptions and booking details in the Speaker Kit.
Speaking & Public Engagement
On Stage and On Air
I speak in English and Portuguese, to academic audiences and to people who have never read a paper in their lives. The registers are different. The evidence is the same.
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2024
Guest Lecturer, Security, Strategy and Defense: Geopolitics in the Asian Continent
GEASIA / USP
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2023
Interview, Rádio Senado
On Japan and population aging
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2023
Panelist, Fiocruz Event
On health, aging, and public policy
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2023
Population Aging and Its Importance in International Relations
ENERI · How population aging affects everything in a country
Where My Work Lives
A Bridge between
Brazil and Japan
My research, identity, and advocacy span two countries with one of the world's longest bilateral histories. I navigate both worlds by birth, by study, and by choice.
Brazil · Home
Largest Japanese diaspora outside Japan. Rich culture, urgent challenges in accessibility and infrastructure.
Japan · Ancestral
World's first super-aged society. Global infrastructure benchmark, studied with both love and critical eyes.
Japanese Brazilians: the largest diaspora of Japanese in the world.
years of Japan-focused academic research
Four Languages, One Voice
Available for speaking & research collaborations.
Get in TouchFrom the Blog
Latest Articles
My Story with FD/MAS
Living with Fibrous Dysplasia and McCune-Albright Syndrome: a patient perspective from Brazil, from the first Latin American FD/MAS advocate. Rare DiseaseRare Disease Month: What Does It Have to Do with You?
February is Rare Disease Month. If you don't have a rare disease, you might be surprised how much it has to do with you. AccessibilityInvisible Beings: Disability in Japan
Tokyo won on infrastructure. But is life actually better for people with disabilities in Japan than in France or Brazil?Keep Exploring
More to Discover
Get in Touch
Let's Start a
Conversation
Whether you're a journalist on deadline, an event organizer, a researcher looking to collaborate, or simply curious: fill in the form and I'll get back to you within a few days.