Professor Dikaios Sakellariou
(he/him)

: Media commentator
: Available for postgraduate supervision

Teams and roles for Dikaios Sakellariou

Academic and research staff
School of Healthcare Sciences
Honorary Professor
School of Healthcare Sciences

I am Professor of Disability Studies and Occupational Therapy. I am interested in the ways that people with chronic illness or disability mobilise in order to produce a good, or better, life with, rather than despite, impairment. I do this through exploring experiences of living with illness and bringing to the foreground what is at stake for different people in different situations. In my work, I use ideas and methods from public health, medical anthropology, occupational therapy, and disability studies.

I welcome inquiries from prospective PhD students in any of the following areas:

Disability studies
Disparities in access to healthcare
Disability and sexuality
Experiences of neurodegenerative conditions
Care practices

Date
Type

2016

Floyd, A. and Sakellariou, D. 2016. Experiences of recently-arrived, non-literate, non-English- speaking refugee women in Vancouver. Presented at: 76th annual meeting of the Society for Applied Anthropology Vancouver, Canada 29 March - 2 April 2016.
Pollard, N. et al., 2016. Community based models of practice to address late-life inequities: examples form the UK. In: Barney, K. and Perkinson, P. eds. Occupational Therapy with Aging Adults. Oxford: Elsevier. , pp.455-468.
Sakellariou, D. 2016. Enacting varieties of subjectivity through practices of care: a story of living with Motor Neuron Disease. Qualitative Health Research 26 (14), pp.1902-1910. (10.1177/1049732315584744)
Sakellariou, D. 2016. Review of already doing it: intellectual disability and sexual agency, Michael Gill. Sexualities 19 (8), pp.999-1001. (10.1177/1363460716651422)
Sakellariou, D. and Thomas, G. 2016. Disability and everyday worlds. Presented at: 76th annual meeting of the Society for Applied Anthropology Vancouver, Canada 29 March- 2 April 2016.

2015

McGrath, M. and Sakellariou, D. 2015. Why has so little progress been made in the practice of occupational therapy in relation to sexuality?. American Journal of Occupational Therapy 70 (1), pp.1-5. 7001360010. (10.5014/ajot.2016.017707)
Sakellariou, D. 2015. Creating in/abilities for eating. Somatosphere
Sakellariou, D. 2015. Exploring practices of care that can lead to the construction of a desired life. Presented at: Ethnography in Health Research London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK 1-2 October, 2015.
Sakellariou, D. 2015. Home modifications and ways of living well. Medical Anthropology 34 (5), pp.456-469. (10.1080/01459740.2015.1012614)
Sakellariou, D. 2015. Negotiating a way of living. Presented at: 75th annual meeting of the Society for Applied Anthropology Pittsburgh, USA 24-28 March, 2015.
Sakellariou, D. 2015. Towards the construction of a nicer life: subjectivity and the logic of choice. Anthropology in Action 22 (1), pp.46-53. (10.3167/aia.2015.220106)
Sakellariou, D. 2015. Una reflexión inquieta e incómoda: Sobre las experiencias entre uno y el otro. Presented at: Autoethnography Colloquium Department of Anthropology, University of Tarragona, Spain 5-6 November, 2015.
Sakellariou, D. and Baez Ullberg, S. 2015. Disaster, daily life and meaning. In: Rushford, N. and Thomas, K. eds. Disaster and Development: An Occupational Perspective. Oxford: Churchill Livingstone. , pp.33-40.
Sakellariou, D. and Pollard, N. 2015. The occupational therapist as a political being. Cadernos de Terapia Ocupacional 22 (3), pp.643-652. (10.4322/cto.2014.087)

2014

Floyd, A. and Sakellariou, D. 2014. Experiences of recently-arrived, non-literate, non-English-speaking Government-assisted African refugee women accessing healthcare in the Greater Vancouver area. Presented at: 18th International Nursing Research Conference Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain 11-14 November 2014.
McGrath, M. and Sakellariou, D. 2014. Sexuality and occupational therapy: Time for a human rights approach?. Presented at: Singapore National Occupational Therapy Conference Singapore, Malaysia 3-4 October 2014. , pp.-.
Sakellariou, D. 2014. "As you can see, we plod along"; narratives of living with motor neurone disease in Wales. PhD Thesis , Cardiff University.
Sakellariou, D. 2014. Living with motor neurone disease. Presented at: 16th International Congress of the World Federation of Occupational Therapists Yokohama, Japan 18-21 June, 2014.

2013

Sakellariou, D. 2013. Living the good, short life. Presented at: "Encounters and Engagements - Creating New Agendas for Medical Anthropology" - EASA Medical Anthropology Network and AAA Society for Medical Anthropology Joint International Conference Tarragona, Spain 12-15 June 2013.
Sakellariou, D. , Boniface, G. and Brown, P. 2013. Experiences of living with motor neurone disease; a review of qualitative research. Disability & Rehabilitation 35 (21), pp.1765-1773. (10.3109/09638288.2012.753118)
Sakellariou, D. , Boniface, G. and Brown, P. 2013. Using joint interviews in a narrative-based study on illness experiences. Qualitative Health Research 23 (11), pp.1563-1570. (10.1177/1049732313508014)
Sakellariou, D. and Pollard, N. 2013. A commentary on the social responsibility of occupational therapy education. Journal of Further and Higher Education 37 (3), pp.416-430. (10.1080/0309877X.2011.645459)

2012

Pollard, N. and Sakellariou, D. 2012. A grammar for the language of occupation. In: Pollard, N. and Sakellariou, D. eds. Politics of Occupation‐Centred Practice: Reflections on Occupational Engagement across Cultures. Chichester: Wiley-Backwell. , pp.51-60. (10.1002/9781118702819.ch4)
Pollard, N. and Sakellariou, D. 2012. A society founded on occupation. In: Pollard, N. and Sakellariou, D. eds. Politics of Occupation‐Centred Practice: Reflections on Occupational Engagement across Cultures. Chichester: Wiley-Backwell. , pp.217-236. (10.1002/9781118702819.ch15)
Pollard, N. and Sakellariou, D. 2012. Introduction. In: Pollard, N. and Sakellariou, D. eds. Politics of Occupation‐Centred Practice: Reflections on Occupational Engagement across Cultures. Chichester: Wiley-Backwell. , pp.1-24. (10.1002/9781118702819.ch1)
Pollard, N. and Sakellariou, D. 2012. Occupational literacy. In: Pollard, N. and Sakellariou, D. eds. Politics of Occupation‐Centred Practice: Reflections on Occupational Engagement across Cultures. Chichester: Wiley-Backwell. , pp.42-50. (10.1002/9781118702819.ch3)
Pollard, N. and Sakellariou, D. 2012. The language of occupation. In: Pollard, N. and Sakellariou, D. eds. Politics of Occupation‐Centred Practice: Reflections on Occupational Engagement across Cultures. Chichester: Wiley-Backwell. , pp.25-41. (10.1002/9781118702819.ch2)
Pollard, N. and Sakellariou, D. 2012. Towards a transformational grammar of occupation. In: Pollard, N. and Sakellariou, D. eds. Politics of Occupation‐Centred Practice: Reflections on Occupational Engagement across Cultures. Chichester: Wiley-Backwell. , pp.61-70. (10.1002/9781118702819.ch5)
Pollard, N. and Sakellariou, D. 2012. What are the occupations of a model citizen?. Presented at: 18th Meeting of ENOTHE - European Network of Occupational Therapy in Higher Education Vilnius, Lithuania 18-20 October 2012.
Sakellariou, D. 2012. Sexuality and disability: A discussion on care of the self. Sexuality and Disability 30 (2), pp.187-197. (10.1007/s11195-011-9219-3)
Sakellariou, D. et al. 2012. An occupational therapy international summer school on Minamata disease, occupational justice, and the natural environment. West Kyushu Journal of Rehabilitation Sciences 5 , pp.43-48.
Sakellariou, D. and Pollard, N. 2012. Narratives and truths. In: Pollard, N. and Sakellariou, D. eds. Politics of occupation-centred practice: reflections on occupational engagement across cultures. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell. , pp.81-91.
Sakellariou, D. and Pollard, N. 2012. Narratives of recognition. In: Pollard, N. and Sakellariou, D. eds. Politics of occupation-centred practice: reflections on occupational engagement across cultures. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell. , pp.72-80.

2011

Pheby, D. et al., 2011. A Disease Register for ME/CFS: Report of a Pilot Study. BMC Research Notes 4 (1) 139. (10.1186/1756-0500-4-139)
Sakellariou, D. 2011. Occupational justice: a discussion on health, environment and society. Presented at: International Summer School on Minamata disease West Kyushu University, Japan 1 September 2011.
Sakellariou, D. and Pollard, N. 2011. Social enterprises in occupational therapy. Presented at: 17th European Network for Occupational Therapy in Higher Education (ENOTHE) conference Gent, Belgium 1-3 November 2011. , pp.-.

2010

Pollard, N. , Sakellariou, D. and Kronenberg, F. 2010. Community development. In: Curtin, M. , Molineux, M. and Supyk, J. eds. Occupational Therapy and Physical Dysfunction: Enabling Occupation. 6th ed.. Oxford: Churchill Livingstone. , pp.267-280.
Pollard, N. , Sakellariou, D. and Lawson-Porter, A. 2010. Will Occupational Science facilitate or divide the practice of Occupational Therapy?. International Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation 17 (1), pp.40-47.
Sakellariou, D. and Pollard, N. 2010. Online module on a political practice of occupational therapy. Presented at: 15th World Congress of the World Federation of Occupational Therapists Conference - WFOT2010 Santiago, Chile 4-7 May 2010.

2009

Nacul, L. C. , Lacerda, E. M. and Sakellariou, D. 2009. Is there an association between exposure to chemicals and chronic fatigue syndrome? Review of the evidence. Bulletin of the IACFS/ME 17 (1), pp.3-15.
Pollard, N. and Sakellariou, D. 2009. A political practice of occupational therapy. Presented at: College of Occupational Therapists 33rd Annual Conference and Exhibition - HIV, Oncology and Palliative Care specialist section Brighton, UK 23-26 June 2009.
Pollard, N. and Sakellariou, D. 2009. Is doing 'good' good?: professional motives v. community needs. Asia Pacific Journal of Disability and Rehabilitation 20 (2), pp.3-16.
Sengupta, S. and Sakellariou, D. 2009. Sexuality and Health Care: Are We Training Physical Therapy Professionals to Address Their Clients’ Sexuality Needs?. Physical Therapy 89 (1), pp.101-102. (10.2522/ptj.2009.89.1.101)

2008

Pollard, N. , Kronenberg, F. and Sakellariou, D. 2008. A political practice of occupational therapy. In: Pollard, N. , Sakellariou, D. and Kronenberg, F. eds. A Political Practice of Occupational Therapy. Edinburgh: Elsevier. , pp.3-20.
Pollard, N. , Kronenberg, F. and Sakellariou, D. 2008. Occupational apartheid. In: Pollard, N. , Sakellariou, D. and Kronenberg, F. eds. A Political Practice of Occupational Therapy. Edinburgh: Elsevier. , pp.55-68.
Pollard, N. and Sakellariou, D. 2008. Facing the challenge: A compass for navigating the heteroglossic context. In: Pollard, N. , Sakellariou, D. and Kronenberg, F. eds. A Political Practice of Occupational Therapy. Edinburgh: Elsevier. , pp.237-244.
Pollard, N. and Sakellariou, D. 2008. Operationalizing community participation in community-based rehabilitation: Exploring the factors. Disability & Rehabilitation 30 (1), pp.62-70. (10.1080/09638280701192980)
Pollard, N. , Sakellariou, D. and Kronenberg, F. 2008. Political competence in occupational therapy. In: Pollard, N. , Sakellariou, D. and Kronenberg, F. eds. A Political Practice of Occupational Therapy. Edinburgh: Elsevier. , pp.21-38.
Sakellariou, D. and Pollard, N. 2008. Political challenges of holism; heteroglossia and the (im)possibility of holism. In: Pollard, N. , Sakellariou, D. and Kronenberg, F. eds. A political practice of occupational therapy. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier. , pp.91-105.
Sakellariou, D. and Pollard, N. 2008. Three sites of conflict and cooperation: Class, gender and sexuality. In: Pollard, N. , Sakellariou, D. and Kronenberg, F. eds. A political practice of occupational therapy. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier. , pp.69-90.
Sakellariou, D. , Pollard, N. and Kronenberg, F. 2008. Time to get political. British Journal of Occupational Therapy 71 (9), pp.359-359.

2007

Pollard, N. and Sakellariou, D. 2007. Occupation, Education and Community-Based Rehabilitation. British Journal of Occupational Therapy 70 (4), pp.171-174.
Pollard, N. and Sakellariou, D. 2007. Sex and Occupational Therapy: Contradictions or Contraindications?. British Journal of Occupational Therapy 70 (8), pp.362-365.

2006

Sakellariou, D. 2006. If not the Disability, then what? Barriers to Reclaiming Sexuality Following Spinal Cord Injury. Sexuality and Disability 24 (2), pp.101-111. (10.1007/s11195-006-9008-6)
Sakellariou, D. 2006. The Disabler, the Disablee and their Context: a Tripartite View of Disability. British Journal of Occupational Therapy 69 (2), pp.49-49.
Sakellariou, D. and Algado, S. S. 2006. Sexuality and disability: A case of occupational injustice. British Journal of Occupational Therapy 69 (2), pp.69-76.
Sakellariou, D. and Algado, S. S. 2006. Sexuality and occupational therapy: exploring the link. British Journal of Occupational Therapy 69 (8), pp.350-356.
Sakellariou, D. and Pollard, N. 2006. Rehabilitation: in the Community or with the Community?. British Journal of Occupational Therapy 69 (12), pp.562-566.
Sakellariou, D. et al. 2006. Reporting on the WFOT-CBR master project plan: the data collection subproject. World Federation of Occupational Therapists Bulletin 54 , pp.37-45.
Sakellariou, D. and Sawada, Y. 2006. Sexuality After Spinal Cord Injury: The Greek Male's Perspective. American Journal of Occupational Therapy 60 (3), pp.311-319. (10.5014/ajot.60.3.311)
Sakellariou, D. , Sawada, Y. and Tsubota, S. 2006. Influence of Wrist Joint Position and Metacarpophalangeal Joint Range of Motion on EDC Activity: an Electromyographic Study. British Journal of Hand Therapy 11 (1), pp.10-14.

I use ideas and methods from the health and the social sciences to explore the sociopolitical conditions that create disability and how such conditions can lead to some people having limited opportunities for participation in daily life. I am specifically interested in exploring the effects these conditions produce in different aspects of people’s daily life (e.g. access to healthcare). My research has been funded by Tenovus Cancer Care, Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarships (EU), the Sasakawa Great Britain Foundation, and Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation, among other funders. I regularly provide consultancy on disability inclusion to international organisations, including the World Health Organisation.

I am an experienced educator in occupational therapy and more generally in the health sciences; I teach, supervise and examine at undergraduate, taught postgraduate, and doctoral levels. I have acted as external examiner for BSc in Occupational Therapy programmes both nationally and internationally, including at Trinity College Dublin, Republic of Ireland, and at the Metropolitan College in Athens, Greece. I also regularly edit occupational therapy textbooks, such as the world-leading book series Occupational Therapies without Borders, which has received a foreword by Nobel Laureate Desmond Tutu.

I regularly supervise PhD students in the area of disability studies and chronic illness and I am an experienced external examiner for doctoral theses that focus on disability research across a variety of disciplines (public health, global health, gender studies, occupational therapy; medical anthropology) at universities in the UK, Spain, Australia, and Malaysia.

Education and qualifications

2014: Ph.D. School of Healthcare Sciences, Cardiff University, UK. Title: “As you can see, we plod along”; Narratives of living with motor neurone disease in Wales.

2010: Postgraduate Certificate in University Teaching and Learning, Cardiff University, UK.

2005: M.Sc., Graduate School of Health Sciences, Department of Occupational Therapy, Sapporo Medical University, Japan.

2002: B.Sc., Department of Occupational Therapy, Technological Education Institution, Athens, Greece.

External engagements

2022-present: Scientific collaborator, European University Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus.

2018, October: Invited researcher, School of Social Sciences, Department of Anthropology, Monash University, Australia.

2018, July: Invited Researcher, School of Economics, Universidad de Chile, Chile.

2018-2022: External examiner, Department of Occupational Therapy, Queen Margaret University/ Metropolitan College, Greece.

2016-2020: External examiner, BSc in Occupational Therapy, Department of Occupational Therapy, Trinity College Dublin, Republic of Ireland.

2016, August: Research visit, Discipline of Occupational Therapy, University of Sydney, Australia.

2016, August: Invited researcher, Department of Anthropology, Monash University, Australia.

2015- 2016: Member: Scientific committee of the 7th conference of the Greek Association of Occupational Therapists.

2014- present: Editorial board member: Cadernos de Terapia Ocupacional, published by Federal University of Sao Carlos, Brazil.

2013, April: Research Fellow, Department of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Sapporo Medical University, Japan.

2010: Member, European Union funded project on the development of educational Competencies for Poverty Reduction (COPORE).

2008- 2011: Research committee member: Society for the Study of Occupation- USA.

2007- 2010: Member, NAPA-OT (National Association for the Practice of Anthropology- Occupational Therapy) Field School in Antigua, Guatemala.

2005-2006: Coordinator, ”Data collection about occupational therapists involved in Community Based Rehabilitation” executive project of the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT).

Honours and awards

2018- present: External affliate in Anthropology, School of Social Sciences, Monash University, Australia

2018- present: Fellow of the Society for Applied Anthropology

Committees and reviewing

Grant reviewer: Medical Research Council, Wellcome Trust, Marie Curie, Royal Society, National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research, Chile.

Journal reviewer: Critical Public Health; Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Care Network; International Journal for Equity in Health; Social Science & Medicine; Medical Anthropology; BMC Public Health; BMC Health Services Research; Qualitative Health Research; Sociology of Health and Illness; Disability and Rehabilitation; International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health; Occupational Therapy Journal of Research; British Journal of Occupational Therapy; Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy; Journal of Occupational Science; International Online Encyclopaedia of Rehabilitation; Sexualities; Sex Education.

Member: Research Ethics Committee, School of Healthcare Sciences, Cardiff University

I welcome inquiries from prospective PhD students in any of the following areas:

Disability studies
Disparities/ barriers in access to healthcare, especially for people with disabilities
Disability and sexuality
Experiences of neurodegenerative conditions
Care practices

Current supervision

Ahmad Aldayes

Hannah Trotman

Contact Details

[email protected]
+44 29206 87744

Research themes

Specialisms

Medical anthropology
Disability studies
Occupational therapy
Critical public health
Health systems

Why are cancer patients with pre-existing disabilities reporting poorer care?

26 October 2017

Occupational Therapies Without Borders

26 October 2016

Professor Dikaios Sakellariou (he/him)

Teams and roles for Dikaios Sakellariou

Academic and research staff

Honorary Professor

Overview

Publication

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017