Researcher · Speaker · Advocate
BiaKaoriMi
I research what I live. My work on accessibility and aging starts with my own experience and grows with every trip, from Brazil to Japan, Canada, and the United States. I share what I find in talks and articles in English and Portuguese.
As Seen In
5 press mentions19 appearances
Recent Appearances
Research Born from Lived Experience
I am a researcher and advocate specializing in accessibility, urban infrastructure, and population aging. I was born and raised in Brazil as a Japanese descendant who grew up inside Japanese culture and among people speaking many other languages.
Bia Kaori Mi combines the nicknames I go by in Portuguese and Japanese. Bia is short for Beatriz, my first name.
That mix made me curious about the world early on: how other people live, what they eat, how they speak, and what their cities allow them to do. My research doesn't just stay in academic papers. I have always believed theory and practice must walk together.
My experiences as a disabled, mixed woman shaped me, and that is what I bring to talks, courses, and publications in several languages.
I love learning about different cultures and languages, and exploring Japanese cuisine, media, and society. I can't get through a day without tea (no fruit teas, please) or something to read.
Find Out MoreResearch Focus
Pillars of Study
Six areas that keep converging, whatever the starting point.
Aging
What Japan, the first super-aged society, can show Brazil as it ages fast.
Accessibility
Daily life with a disability, and the small obstacles nobody else notices.
Japanese Brazilian Culture and Identity
A mixed upbringing, Japanese at home and Brazilian everywhere else, and everything in between.
Urban Infrastructure
Cities that open up when ramps, elevators, and good sidewalks are part of the plan.
Rare Disease
Speaking up for patients with conditions most doctors rarely see.
Inclusive Fashion
Getting dressed with a disability, and what designers still leave out.
Health & Rare Disease Advocacy
Living with FD/MAS
I live with fibrous dysplasia and McCune-Albright syndrome (FD/MAS), a rare condition caused by a mutation in the GNAS gene. It affects my bones, my endocrine system, and my mobility. My first fracture came before I turned one; diagnosis took three more years. Today I'm an advocate for patients across countries and cultures.
I'm a patient, not a physician. For medical information about fibrous dysplasia and McCune-Albright syndrome, see the FD/MAS Alliance's pages on what FD/MAS is and how rare it is.
01 · The Diagnosis
First Fracture Before Age One
FD/MAS affects bones and, for many patients, hormones and skin. Three years passed before my parents found answers, and the condition is still rare and hard to diagnose.
02 · The Alliance
Joining the FD/MAS Alliance
Since 2023, I have been a patient advocate for the FD/MAS Alliance, an American organization. I produced the first Portuguese translations of its official content. I also co-hosted one of the first global FD/MAS community meetings.
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
Five ways to work together, depending on who you are.
Event Organizers
Book a Talk
Talks in English and Portuguese, in person or online, about 60 minutes each. Topics, formats, and logistics are in the Speaker Kit.
Signature Talks
- What Japan's Super-Aged Society Teaches the Rest of Us
- Rare in Brazil: What Living with FD/MAS Reveals About Access in a Developing Country
- Accessibility Is Infrastructure
- The Bridge: What 2 Million Japanese Brazilians Reveal About Identity
- Listening as Medicine: What Rare Disease Communities Know About Empathy
Researchers
Collaborate
Research collaborations on aging, accessibility, and Brazil–Japan comparisons, through GEASIA / NUPRI at the University of São Paulo (USP).
AboutJournalists
Commentary
Commentary on population aging, disability, and Japan, with past coverage in Folha de S.Paulo and O Globo.
MediaBrands
Sponsored Content
Sponsored content on accessibility, rare disease, Japanese Brazilian culture, and inclusive fashion. Media kit on request.
ContactPatients and Families
FD/MAS
My FD/MAS story and links to the FD/MAS Alliance's resources.
My FD/MAS StorySpeaking & Public Engagement
On Stage and On Air
I speak in English and Portuguese to every kind of audience: universities, patient communities, companies, public institutions, and the general public.
TV GGN, Geopolitics Observatory: Aging in East Asia and Lessons for Brazil, 2025 PT
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2026Guest Lecturer
Asia on the Rise: Contemporary Dynamics and Transformations in the Asian Continent
GEASIA / NUPRI, University of São Paulo (USP)
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2025Presenter
Graduate Student Meeting in Japanese Studies, Session 6
USP
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2024Guest Lecturer
Security, Strategies, and Defense: Geopolitics in the Asian Continent
GEASIA / USP
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2023Presenter
Population Aging and Why It Matters in International Relations
SIMPORI 2023, San Tiago Dantas IR Research Symposium, São Paulo PT
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2023Interviewee
Population Aging
Rádio Senado, Ordem Global
Where My Work Lives
A Bridge between
Brazil and Japan
My research, identity, and advocacy span two countries joined by the largest Japanese community outside Japan: over 18,000 km apart and more than a century close. Brazil is my home; Japan is my heritage and my field of study.
Brazil · Home
A country with urgent challenges in accessibility and infrastructure.
Japan · Heritage
The world's first super-aged society, and a reference for accessible infrastructure that I study with affection and a critical eye.
Many Languages, One Voice
Available for speaking and research collaborations.
Get in TouchFrom the Blog
Latest Articles
Keep Exploring
More to Discover
Get in Touch
Let's Start a
Conversation
Journalists, event organizers, researchers, brands, and patients and families can reach me through this form. I reply within five business days, in English or Portuguese.