It’s Never “Just the Hand”: Translating Upper-Extremity Biomechanics into Participation, Daily Life, and Equity in Rehabilitation

This presentation traces a research journey from laboratory-based biomechanics to the complex realities of rehabilitation. Every gesture, reach, and grasp connects us to daily life - to self-care, work, leisure, and belonging - yet illness, injury, and inequities in access to care can make those everyday actions difficult to sustain. Drawing on projects in motion capture, musculoskeletal rehabilitation, and international experiences in occupational therapy education, Dr. Pedro Almeida examines how understanding movement and function can inform interventions that are meaningful, equitable, and grounded in people’s lived contexts. The talk reflects on how translating biomechanics into real-world practice can bridge the gap between measurement and meaning - ensuring that rehabilitation supports not only movement, but participation, autonomy, and human connection.

Speaker

PEDRO ALMEIDA – Assistant Professor in the Master of Occupational Therapy-North program at the University of Northern British Columbia. An occupational therapist and certified hand therapist, Dr. Almeida investigates how upper-extremity function influences participation in daily life. His research integrates biomechanics with rehabilitation practice, exploring how movement analysis and co-designed methodologies can inform more accessible and contextually relevant approaches to care.

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