Paulina Aleksander-Szymanowicz

Dr. Paulina Aleksander-Szymanowicz is an Assistant Professor and Head of the Department of Applied Occupational Therapy at the Institute of Applied Sciences, University of Physical Education in Krakow. She has held various academic leadership positions since 2011, including serving as Head of Department and Assistant Professor across multiple departments within the university structure.

Her educational background includes a doctoral degree in physical education (2011) and a master's degree in motor rehabilitation (2006), both from the University of Physical Education in Krakow. Prior to her academic career, she gained practical experience as a physiotherapist at the Rehabilitation Clinic in Krakow (2009-2010) and as an SPA Coordinator (2006-2007).

Dr. Aleksander-Szymanowicz's research spans multiple areas of occupational therapy, with particular focus on rehabilitation for people with disabilities, accessibility issues, neurological conditions, and geriatric care. Her work often examines practical applications of occupational therapy in real-world settings, with strong emphasis on patient perspectives and functional outcomes. She has conducted significant research on Down syndrome, multiple sclerosis, and accessibility challenges faced by people with disabilities in healthcare and cultural settings.

Her publication record demonstrates consistent productivity across diverse areas of occupational therapy, with recent work focusing on pandemic impacts on healthcare delivery, therapeutic interventions for specific conditions, and accessibility research. Her collaborative approach is evident in her numerous co-authored publications with colleagues across Poland and internationally.

• Award of the Minister of Science and Higher Education (2017) - team award for teaching achievements
• Małopolska Doctoral Scholarship (2009)

As an educator, Dr. Aleksander-Szymanowicz has supervised 28 master's theses and 29 diploma theses. She serves as subject coordinator for Hand Therapy, Occupational Therapy in Neurology and Neurosurgery, and Fundamentals of Occupational Therapy. Her teaching responsibilities include conducting lectures and exercises in these subjects plus Physical Medicine and Balneoclimatology. She has been actively involved in faculty committees, serving on the Faculty Teaching Committee since 2016 and previously chairing the Evaluation Committee (2015-2019).

Dr. Aleksander-Szymanowicz maintains active professional engagement through her membership in the Polish Occupational Therapy Association since 2016 and participation in numerous international research projects. Her professional development includes specialized training in hand therapy, kinesiotaping, and teacher training in occupational therapy theory and practice.