Accessibility & Infrastructure
Physical, digital, and systemic access - comparative analysis across Brazil, Japan, and the United States.
What Do I Research?
Population Aging
What Japan - the world's first super-aged society - teaches us, and what Brazil still needs to build.
Japanese Culture & Identity
Brazilian-Japanese identity, cultural heritage, and life as a descendant - in Brazil and in Japan.
My research focuses on population aging and accessibility and infrastructure, with a comparative lens on Brazil, Japan, and the United States. Japan was the world's first super-aged society - but what does that teach Brazil? And what are Brazil's own specific structural challenges? I support companies, nonprofits, and the public sector in analyzing accessibility and services for older adults. Theory and practice walk together, hand in hand.
"I don't believe in keeping research confined to academia. To create real change, we need to engage every layer of society."
Brazilian-Japanese Identity
I am a Brazilian of Japanese descent - what in Brazil we call nikkei. Brazil is home to the largest Japanese diaspora outside Japan, with over 1.5 million people of Japanese origin. Growing up embedded in both cultures was not simply a biographical fact: it became the structural lens through which I read everything I research.
When I study aging in Japan, I am not approaching it as a foreign observer. When I write about accessibility in Brazil, I carry with me a comparative frame built over a lifetime. Being between two cultures is not a gap to be explained away - it is the method.
"My experiences as a disabled person and as a Brazilian-Japanese woman have shaped a unique worldview that I share through talks, courses, and publications in multiple languages."
Brazil
Born and raised in Sao Paulo. Academic training at USP. Research on disability law, aging policy, and Japan-Brazil comparative studies.
Japan
Ancestral roots, primary research context, and linguistic frame. Japanese studied to source level; reads primary materials in Japanese.
United States
FD/MAS Alliance advocacy base. Work experience at Brafton Inc. in content marketing and international communications.
1.5M+
Japanese Brazilians - the largest Japanese diaspora outside Japan. A community I belong to and research within.
What I'm Working on Now
Active Research
Disability Policy - Brazil & Japan
Continuing comparative analysis of disability legislation, infrastructure, and lived experience across Brazil, Japan, and the United States - with an emphasis on what actually transfers between legal systems.
Advocacy
FD/MAS Advocacy - Brazil
Active patient advocacy work with the FD/MAS Alliance in Brazil and the United States. Ongoing awareness campaigns, translation of materials, and community-building for Portuguese-speaking patients.
Publication
Academic Writing - In Progress
Preparing new academic contributions on disability studies and aging policy. Member of the NUPRI-Asia group at USP; forthcoming book contribution in the pipeline.
Teaching & Talks
Available for Events & Lectures
Currently accepting invitations for academic lectures, corporate talks, and media appearances on accessibility, aging, Japan-Brazil relations, and rare disease. English and Portuguese.
Rare Disease Advocacy - Beyond FD/MAS
FD
Fibrous Dysplasia
A congenital condition in which abnormal tissue gradually replaces healthy bone - causing deterioration, lesions, and fractures. My first fracture happened at age one.
MAS
McCune-Albright Syndrome
A rare syndrome including bone disease (FD), hormonal irregularities, possible thyroid involvement, and/or skin pigmentation. I live with both FD and MAS.
Patient advocacy is not simply storytelling. It is structural translation work: making medical, legal, and institutional knowledge accessible to communities historically excluded from it - both linguistically and geographically. Since 2023 I have served as an advocate in Brazil and the United States, co-hosted the first global patient and family event, and completed the first official Portuguese translation of the Alliance's core materials.
"It helped me learn so much about myself, about these diseases, and to connect with people from all over the world."
2023
Became the first Brazilian advocate at the FD/MAS Alliance - operating across Brazil and the United States.
How I Communicate
For Researchers & Academics
Academic Publications
Peer-reviewed articles, thesis, and book chapters - published in Portuguese, English, and drawing on Japanese-language primary sources. Peer review, citations, and full academic apparatus.
For Institutions & Events
Lectures & Panels
Academic conferences, corporate training, government panels, and media roundtables. Available in English and Portuguese, in-person or online. Adapts depth and format to audience.
For the General Public
Social Media & Content
Research made accessible - Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and TikTok @biakaorimi. Complex academic topics explained without losing rigor or depth. Four languages, multiple formats.
For Patients & Caregivers
Rare Disease Advocacy
Community-building, material translation, and patient representation for FD/MAS. First Portuguese translation of FD/MAS Alliance resources. Bridge between English-language advocacy and the Brazilian patient community.
Questions I Get Asked Most
Can you speak at events in English?
Yes. I am fully fluent in English - TOEFL iBT 119/120 - and have lectured, published, and conducted advocacy work in English in both academic and professional contexts. Events, panels, media interviews, and lectures are available in English or Portuguese, in-person or online.
What is your academic background?
I hold a Master's degree (MSc) from the University of Sao Paulo (USP), Faculty of Philosophy, Languages and Human Sciences (FFLCH), with a dissertation on Japan as the world's first super-aged society. My undergraduate degree is in International Relations from Faculdades Integradas Rio Branco, where I received two academic merit awards. I have been a member of NUPRI-Asia, the USP Asian Studies research group, for over a decade.
How do I invite you to speak at my event?
The best way is through the Speaker Kit page, which includes topics, formats, experience, and a contact form. You can also write directly to contact@biakaorimi.com. I respond in English or Portuguese, usually within a few business days.
What is FD/MAS?
Fibrous Dysplasia (FD) is a congenital condition in which abnormal tissue replaces healthy bone, leading to deterioration, lesions, and fractures. McCune-Albright Syndrome (MAS) is a rare syndrome that includes FD alongside hormonal irregularities, thyroid involvement, and/or skin pigmentation. I live with both conditions. The FD/MAS Alliance is the primary advocacy organization, where I serve as the first Brazilian advocate.
Do you offer consultations or research collaboration?
Yes. I am available for academic research partnerships, expert consultation on accessibility and aging policy, peer review, and media commentary. For journalists, a press kit with short bio, high-resolution photos, and previous media coverage is available on request. Write to contact@biakaorimi.com with your inquiry type and I will respond accordingly.
What languages do you work in?
I work actively in Portuguese (native), English (fluent, TOEFL IBT 119/120; CELTA certified), French (advanced, DALF C2), and Japanese (intermediate, JLPT N2). Academic publications are primarily in Portuguese and English. Japanese is used for sourcing and reading primary materials. French is available for select contexts.
Key Publications
2024
Academic
2021
Academic
2021
Thesis
All Publications
Invisible Beings: An Overview of People With Disabilities' Circumstances in Japan
Estudos Japoneses - Jornal da USP - Peer-reviewed, open access - Despite Japan's global reputation for technological sophistication, people with disabilities remain structurally invisible in its policies and public life.
COVID-19 in Japan: What Does (and Does Not) Explain the Relatively Low Incidence
Carta Internacional - Brazilian Association of International Relations - Examines the structural, cultural, and public-health factors behind Japan's early pandemic trajectory and what they do and do not explain.
Master's Thesis: Japan's Challenges as the World's First Super-Aged Society
University of Sao Paulo (USP) - FFLCH - The foundational document of Bia's research on Japan as the world's first super-aged society - its challenges, policies, and lessons for Brazil.
Where This Work Happened
2016 - Present
Sao Paulo, Brazil - USP & NUPRI-Asia
MSc from the University of Sao Paulo (USP), Faculty of Philosophy, Languages and Human Sciences (FFLCH). Member of the NUPRI-Asia research group for over a decade. Research focus: Japan, aging, accessibility, and disability.
Research context
Japan - Primary Research Country
Japan constitutes the core empirical and ancestral reference point of Bia's research. Japanese-language sources, policy documents, and demographic data are read and analyzed directly.
2023 - Present
United States - FD/MAS Alliance
Patient and family advocate at the FD/MAS Alliance, operating across Brazil and the United States. First Brazilian to hold this role. Co-hosted the first global patient and family event; completed the first Portuguese translation of Alliance materials.
International - Content & Marketing
Brafton Inc. - Digital Content & Marketing
Worked as a content marketing strategist and project manager at Brafton Inc., producing and publishing research-informed content for international audiences in English.
Academic lectures & panels
Brazil-Wide - Speaker & Guest Lecturer
Guest speaker at USP (GEASIA), SIMPORI/Santiago Dantas, TV GGN Geopolitics Observatory, Fiocruz, and academic events. Topics: aging, Japan, accessibility, and rare disease advocacy.
Acknowledgments
Parents & Japanese Family
For unconditional love and support at every stage of life, always modeling ethics and generosity.
Professors & Advisors
For intellectual richness and guidance throughout the academic journey at USP and beyond.
Friends
For the laughter, lightness, and encouragement through every project and difficult season.
Marketing Team
For creativity and care from the very beginning, before this project even had a name. A special thank you to Ana Paula & Diego.
FD/MAS Community
For connection, shared learning, and the courage to advocate publicly across borders.
Logo Creator
For artwork that captures exactly who I am - with precision and warmth. Designed by Sofia.