Brigitte Desport

Brigitte Desport serves as Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Strategic Initiatives at the School of Health Professions, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, within the Occupational Therapy Program. With over thirteen years of school-based practice experience at the New York City Department of Education, she specializes in pediatric occupational therapy and early intervention for premature infants while maintaining a private practice in New York City.

Her educational credentials include a D.P.S. in Occupational Therapy from New York University (2011), M.A. in Communication Arts from New York Institute of Technology (2004), and dual degrees (M.S. and B.S.) from Touro College School of Health Sciences (1999) in Occupational Therapy and Health Sciences respectively.

Dr. Desport's research centers on reducing healthcare disparities through occupational therapy in underserved communities across the U.S. and internationally. She pioneers initiatives to develop cultural competence among students serving oppressed populations and directs institutional resources toward addressing healthcare inequities through innovative program development.

Her publication trends reveal consistent focus on identifying environmental and contextual barriers to occupational participation, utilizing methodologies like photo-based interviews to explore community engagement challenges with emphasis on health equity applications in diverse clinical settings.

As academic leadership, she advises the National Perinatal Association Student Society and Black Students of Excellence while developing institutional initiatives targeting resource allocation for marginalized communities. Her professional service extends to the American Occupational Therapy Association Board of Directors (2021-2024), National Perinatal Association, Statewide Early Intervention Coordinating Council, and Brooklyn Children's Society of SUNY Downstate.