Researcher · Speaker · Advocate

BiaKaoriMi

Researcher, speaker, and rare disease advocate based in Brasília. I study population aging and accessibility by comparing Brazil and Japan, and I write and speak about both in English and Portuguese.

Bia Kaori Mi combines the nicknames I go by in Portuguese and Japanese. Bia is short for Beatriz, my first name.

  • Aging
  • Accessibility
  • Japanese Brazilian Culture and Identity
  • Urban Infrastructure
  • Rare Disease
  • Inclusive Fashion
Get in Touch
Portrait of Bia Kaori Mi

Heritage & Perspective

Japanese Brazilian Identity

I am a Brazilian of Japanese descent, what in Brazil we call nikkei. Brazil has the largest Japanese community outside Japan, about 2 million people. I had a mixed upbringing of Western and Eastern cultures that shaped my worldview and expanded my horizons.

That is why my research compares the two countries. When I study aging in Japan, I read the sources in Japanese. When I write about accessibility in Brazil, I measure it against what I have seen in Japanese cities.

Bia Kaori Mi as a child

~2 million

Japanese Brazilians, the largest Japanese diaspora outside Japan. A community I belong to and research within.

"My experiences as a disabled, mixed woman shaped me, and that is what I bring to talks, courses, and publications in several languages."

Brazilian flag

Brazil

Born and raised in São Paulo; based in Brasília. Studied at the University of São Paulo (USP) and Faculdades Integradas Rio Branco (FIRB). Research on accessibility, aging policy, and Brazil–Japan comparisons.

Japanese flag

Japan

Ancestral roots, primary research context, and linguistic frame. Japanese studied to source level, reading primary materials directly.

United States flag

United States

Home of the FD/MAS Alliance, the American patient organization I advocate for from Brazil. Through it, my advocacy reaches FD/MAS patients worldwide. Also home of Brafton Inc., the Boston content agency where I work remotely.

"I don't believe in keeping research confined to academia. To create real change, we need to engage every layer of society."

Bia Kaori Mi

The Short Version

How I Got Here

My first fracture came before I turned one, and I was diagnosed with fibrous dysplasia and McCune-Albright syndrome (FD/MAS) at four. Accessibility was part of my daily life long before it became a research subject.

I studied International Relations at FIRB, with a final thesis on population aging, and went on to an MA at USP on Japan as the world's first super-aged society, completed in 2021. Alongside research, I have worked in content marketing and project management at Brafton since 2021.

Today the work runs on three tracks that feed each other: academic research, patient advocacy with the FD/MAS Alliance, and teaching and talks for audiences who would never read a journal article. None of these would be as good without the other two.

How I Work

Comparative by default. Nothing gets studied in isolation. Japan and Brazil read each other.

Lived experience counts as evidence. Not instead of data. Alongside it.

Research leaves the building. If it stays in a journal, it has not finished its job.

Many languages, one argument. The audience changes. The rigor does not.

Rare Disease Advocacy

Living with, and Speaking for, 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.

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.

In 2023 I became the first Brazilian patient advocate in the FD/MAS Alliance, an American organization. The work is unglamorous and necessary: translating the Alliance's official content into Portuguese, connecting patients who thought they were alone, and making sure Portuguese speakers are not the last to receive information. In 2024 I co-hosted one of the first global FD/MAS community meetings.

This is also where my research and my life stopped being separate subjects. Accessibility is not an abstraction when you are the person the building was not designed for.

Attendees of the FD/MAS Alliance patient and family conference gathered together in Washington, DC.

Education & Recognition

Academic Foundation

2021

MA, Japanese Language, Literature and Culture

University of São Paulo (USP), Faculty of Philosophy, Languages and Human Sciences (FFLCH)

Dissertation on Japan as the world's first super-aged society: its challenges, population decline, policy responses, and the condition of Japanese women.

Japan East Asia Public Policy Population Aging Demography Geopolitics Sociology Culture Immigration

Affiliation since 2016

GEASIA / NUPRI, USP. Member of the Asian Studies group within the research center on international relations, concentrating on population aging, accessibility, disability policy, and Japan–Brazil relations.

2016

BA, International Relations

Faculdades Integradas Rio Branco (FIRB)

Thesis on population aging and international relations, analyzing the five countries with the highest proportion of older residents: Japan, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Greece.

Geopolitics History Economy International Relations Theory Human Rights International Law

Awards & Honors

  • 2015 & 2016

    Academic Merit Certificates ×2

    One for each of the 5th and 6th semesters, awarded by the Fundação de Rotarianos de São Paulo for the highest grade average in International Relations.

  • 2014

    Honorable Mention, VI RBMUN

    Rio Branco Model of Negotiations (RBMUN), FIRB.

Languages & Training

Credentials & Qualifications

Brazilian flag

Portuguese

Native

United States flag

English

Fluent. TOEFL iBT 119/120 (2020) · CELTA (Cambridge qualification for teaching English)

French flag

French

Intermediate today · DALF C2 in 2018

Japanese flag

Japanese

Intermediate today · JLPT N2 in 2018

Selected Certificates

  • 2023

    Global Health Policy

    University of Tokyo (Coursera).

  • 2022–23

    Introduction to the Principles and Practice of Clinical Research

    National Institutes of Health (NIH).

  • 2020

    Medical Technology and Evaluation

    University of Minnesota (Coursera).

  • 2020

    Foundations of Virtual Instruction

    University of California, Irvine (Coursera).

  • 2020

    Transforming Communities

    University of Colorado Boulder (Coursera).

  • 2020

    Translation Quality Management

    Tomsk State University and Palex (Coursera).

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University Extension Courses

  • 2021

    Refresher Course in Asian Studies, Module I

    Fluminense Federal University (UFF).

  • 2021

    Cities and Self-Management

    Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP).

  • 2021

    Women's City

    Extension course.

  • 2021

    Applied Training in Human Rights in the Brazilian Context

    International Law Center (Centro de Direito Internacional).

  • 2021

    Portuguese as a Host Language (PLAc)

    International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Círculos de Hospitalidade.

  • 2021

    Leadership, Learning Capacity, and Resilience

    Pontifical Catholic University (PUC).

  • 2019

    Japanese Writing for University Students

    University of São Paulo (USP).

  • 2017

    Advanced Course in International Negotiations

    University of São Paulo (USP).

  • 2017

    International Conflicts in Times of Globalization: Non-State Actors

    Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP).

  • 2012

    Financial Education and the Stock Market

    BM&F Bovespa (now B3).

Online Courses, 2020–21

  • Introduction to Humanitarian Translation Translators without Borders
  • Microsoft SC-900: Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals Microsoft, 2021
  • Excel Intermediate, PowerPoint Advanced, Word Advanced, Computational Thinking, Professional Development, and Database Administration Fundação Bradesco Virtual School, 2021
  • Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace ESSEC
  • International and Cross-Cultural Negotiations ESSEC
  • Managing Project Risks and Changes University of California, Irvine
  • Leading Transformations: Manage Change Macquarie University
  • Global Sustainability and CSR Macquarie University
  • Introduction to Software Product Management University of Alberta
  • Business Strategy University of Illinois
  • Sales Strategy FIA
  • Preparing to Manage Human Resources University of Minnesota
  • Introduction to Project Management IBM
  • Investment Risk Management
  • New Product Development for Small Businesses and Start-Ups
  • Digital Media and Marketing Principles University of Illinois
  • Market Research and Consumer Behavior IE Business School
  • Google Ads for Beginners
  • High-Impact Business Writing University of California, Irvine
  • Writing and Editing: Revising University of Michigan
  • Graphic Design, with Honors University of Colorado
  • Introduction to AI IBM
  • A Crash Course in Data Science Johns Hopkins University
  • Exploratory Data Analysis
  • Manipulating Data with SQL
  • Predict Sales and Forecast Trends in Google Sheets
  • Excel Skills for Business: Essentials Macquarie University
  • Introduction to Python
  • Create Your First Python Program
  • Introduction to JavaScript: The Basics
  • HTML and CSS: Building a Single-Page Website
  • Digital Manufacturing and Design University at Buffalo (SUNY)
  • Introduction to Psychology University of Toronto

Research & Professional Background

Where the Work Happened

2023 to Present

Patient Advocate, FD/MAS Alliance

First Brazilian patient advocate in the FD/MAS Alliance, an American organization. Translation, community building, and patient representation.

2021 to Present

Project Manager and Marketing Specialist, Brafton Inc.

Content agency based in Boston; I work remotely from Brazil. Marketing assistant from 2021, marketing specialist from 2022, and project manager from 2023: 300+ projects delivered for 20+ B2B clients, 300+ creative pieces proofread, 100+ WordPress pages built, and landing-page audits across four regions.

2021 to 2023

Credit and Risk, Brazilian Banking Sector

Credit and risk analysis: daily review of client guarantees and trade bills, and weekly liquidity analysis.

2016 to Present

Researcher, GEASIA / NUPRI, USP

Member of the Asian Studies group within the research center on international relations for 10 years. Comparative work on Japan–Brazil policy, disability infrastructure, and population aging, with contributions to several courses.

2007 to 2022

Volunteer Work with 23 Organizations

Team leader, project manager, teacher, translator, editor, and mentor, most of it during the COVID-19 pandemic.

At a Glance

10 years of Japan-focused academic research.

19 appearances as a speaker, panelist, or guest.

5 academic publications.

First Brazilian patient advocate in the FD/MAS Alliance.

Publications

Published Research

Peer-reviewed articles, a dissertation, and a book chapter, in Portuguese and English.

See all publications on the Media page

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.

  • 2026Guest Lecturer

    Asia on the Rise: Contemporary Dynamics and Transformations in the Asian Continent

    GEASIA / NUPRI, USP

  • 2025Presenter

    Graduate Student Meeting in Japanese Studies, Session 6

    USP

  • 2024Guest Lecturer

    Security, Strategies, and Defense: Geopolitics in the Asian Continent

    GEASIA / USP

  • 2023Presenter

    Population Aging and Why It Matters in International Relations

    SIMPORI 2023, San Tiago Dantas IR Research Symposium, São Paulo

  • 2023Interviewee

    Population Aging

    Rádio Senado, Ordem Global

Bia Kaori Mi presenting at the SIMPORI 2023 symposium in São Paulo

Teaching

Teaching Runs Through Everything

Teaching has never been a side activity. It is where I find out whether an argument holds, because a room of students will tell you immediately when it does not.

  • 2026

    Guest Lecturer, GEASIA / NUPRI, USP

    Session on aging in Japan in the extension course "Asia on the Rise: Contemporary Dynamics and Transformations in the Asian Continent."

    University
  • 2024

    Guest Lecturer, GEASIA / USP

    Extension course "Security, Strategies, and Defense: Geopolitics in the Asian Continent."

    University
  • 2021–23

    Guest Speaker, ESPM

    A 2021 webinar and graduate classes in 2022 and 2023 on population aging in Japan and disability in Japanese society.

    University
  • 2021–Present

    English Teacher, Self-Employed

    Remote English classes, including Business English, for students of all ages and backgrounds.

    Private
  • 2021–22

    English Teacher and Admissions President, Júlia Lopes de Almeida International Language Academy (Academia Internacional Linguística Júlia Lopes de Almeida)

    Weekly English and book-analysis classes at basic and intermediate levels. As admissions president, and then admissions official, interviews with students and volunteer teachers in Portuguese, English, French, and Japanese, leveling, and teacher-student matching.

    Volunteer
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  • 2021–22

    English Teacher, English for Beginners

    Free weekly English classes for students across Brazil.

    Volunteer
  • 2021

    English Mentor, K Institute (Instituto K)

    Bimonthly mentoring at the intermediate level.

    Volunteer
  • 2021

    Portuguese Teacher for Refugees, OPIR (Organização pelos Imigrantes e Refugiados)

    Twice-weekly beginner classes for Haitian refugees, taught in French.

    Volunteer
  • 2020

    Course Organizer and Lecturer, GEASIA / NUPRI, USP

    Extension course on Asian geopolitics after 2020 and the repercussions of COVID-19, with a lecture on COVID-19 and the aging of Japanese society.

    University
  • 2007–09

    Japanese Language and Manga Drawing Teacher, Colégio Integrado Global

    Biweekly classes for schoolchildren, as a student volunteer.

    School

Service

Volunteer Work

Volunteer work with 23 organizations since 2007, most of them during the COVID-19 pandemic, from 2020 to 2022, as team leader, project manager, teacher, translator, editor, and mentor.

See All Volunteer Work

Current Focus

What I'm Working On Now

Teaching

Asia on the Rise, GEASIA / NUPRI, USP

Guest lecture on aging in Japan in the extension course running from October 23 to December 18, 2026.

Active Research

Disability Policy, Brazil and Japan

Continuing comparative analysis of disability legislation, infrastructure, and lived experience, with an emphasis on what transfers between legal systems.

Advocacy

FD/MAS Advocacy, Brazil

Ongoing patient advocacy with the FD/MAS Alliance: awareness campaigns, material translation, and community building for Portuguese-speaking patients.

Publication

Academic Writing, In Progress

Preparing new academic contributions on disability studies and aging policy through the GEASIA group at USP.

Teaching & Talks

Available for Events and Lectures

Accepting invitations for academic lectures, corporate talks, and media appearances on aging, accessibility, Japanese Brazilian culture and identity, urban infrastructure, rare disease, and inclusive fashion. English and Portuguese.

With Gratitude

Acknowledgments

Parents & Japanese Family

For unconditional love and support at every stage of life, always modeling ethics and generosity.

Professors & Advisors

To my professors and advisors at USP and FIRB: thank you for shaping how I think.

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 and 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 Sahade.

Frequently Asked

Questions I Get Asked Most

What languages do you speak and present in?

I present in English and Portuguese with equal comfort. I also read and work in French and Japanese, which matters for source material more than for stage work. For other languages, the organizer arranges interpretation. If your event needs a bilingual session or material in both languages, that is straightforward.

What topics do you speak on?

Aging, accessibility, Japanese Brazilian culture and identity, urban infrastructure, rare disease, and inclusive fashion. The Speaker Kit lists five signature talks, and each can be adapted for academic, corporate, healthcare, or general audiences.

Are you available for interviews and press?

Yes, in English and Portuguese. Use the contact form and choose Press / Media; I reply within five business days. Past coverage is on the Media page.

Do you take research collaborations?

Yes. I am open to comparative work on aging, accessibility, disability policy, and Brazil–Japan comparisons, particularly projects that bring lived experience into the evidence base rather than treating it as anecdote.

How should organizers reach you?

Use the contact form on this page and select the inquiry type that fits. The Speaker Kit has the practical detail organizers usually need next: formats, topics, and requirements.

Keep Exploring

More to Discover

On Stage Speaking & Talks Five signature talks, formats, and logistics for event organizers. In the Press In the Media Publications, press coverage, podcasts, talks, events, and volunteer work. In Writing The Blog Articles in English and Portuguese on accessibility, aging, rare disease, and Japan.

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.

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