Beatriz Helena Brugnaro

Beatriz is a pediatric physiotherapist from the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), where she also completed her PhD focusing on the assessment of functioning in children and adolescents with Down syndrome. She is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at Mackenzie Presbyterian University (UPM) (CAPES Fellow), leading the implementation of the F-Words for Child Development in Brazil.

She is the Technical-Scientific Coordinator of the Scientific Research Center at Pediatherapies, overseeing multidisciplinary research development, clinical training, and knowledge translation initiatives. She has authored dozens of peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and has delivered numerous lectures and conference presentations in the field of childhood disability.

As a partner of CanChild, Beatriz conducts research in Down syndrome, F-Words, Implementation Science, and Qualitative Research. Her broader areas of interest include the ICF framework, family-centred practice, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Cerebral Palsy, and knowledge translation.

She also led the Brazilian Portuguese translations of the F-Words Tools, F-Words for School, About My Child, About Me, and About My Baby.

Inspired by her brother, a young man with Down syndrome, she is deeply committed to advancing meaningful, family-centred, and participation-focused care, and advocates for children with disabilities and their families.