CRIR in Brazil: Strengthening International Partnerships in Rehabilitation Research | November 13–19, 2025
Joining Forces in Rehabilitation on an International Scale
Last week, CRIR, in collaboration with the Digital Health Network, had the privilege of visiting the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) in Brazil as part of a bilateral initiative aimed at strengthening and deepening research partnerships between our institutions.
This visit builds on nearly a decade of collaboration between UFRN and the BRILLIANT Learning Community laboratory, led by CRIR-LLMRC professor and researcher Sara Ahmed, who initiated this initiative. It facilitated fruitful exchanges with more than 20 research teams from the UFRN Department of Physical Therapy, working in diverse fields such as neuroscience, cardiorespiratory health, digital health, musculoskeletal conditions, as well as maternal, neonatal, and pelvic health.
These meetings paved the way for new opportunities for collaboration, with the goal of transforming shared expertise into concrete initiatives in research and training, for the benefit of scientific communities and future professionals.
CRIR would like to extend our warmest thanks to our colleague Claudia Bojanowski, Coordinator – Partnerships and Knowledge Mobilization, for representing CRIR so well; the UFRN for its remarkable hospitality and the quality of the discussions; and Professors Karla Mendonca, Thayla Amorim, Silvana Alves Pereira, and Aline Braga Galvão Silveira Fernandes for coordinating this event.
👉 We invite you to watch the video of the event on the BRILLIANT Learning Community LinkedIn page, which showcases the richness and significance of this international gathering.
Video credits: João Vinicius Rebouças (footage), Lara Wandeck Bilro Cruz (editing)
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CRIR | November 25, 2026
