The Occupational Science Europe Board is looking for new members!
Elections are held for choosing a new Executive Board Member of OSE. There are four vacant positions this year for wich the call for nominations was open until 16th November 2025 (Extended call for nominations).
The group is open to anyone interested in occupational science in Europe – practitioners, academics, students. Joining the Occupational Science Europe (OSE) Board is not only a chance to shape the future of our community — it’s a opportunity to expand your network and grow your career.
Five candidates have run in this election. Get to know them better below:
Petra Wagman
Petra Wagman is a Reg Occupational Therapist, PhD and Associate Professor in occupational therapy at Jönköping University, Sweden. She has a profound interest in occupational science which is seen by her focus on what people do and think about what they do in their everyday life. Her research mainly regards occupational balance, one of the core concepts in occupational science, as well as health promotion in relation to everyday occupations.
Wagman has extensive experience from education and research, with a profound relevance in relation to occupational science, and may be useful in relation to the contribute to the work of the executive board of OSE.
Furthermore Wagman is one of the initiators for an interdisciplinary research network regarding Promotion and Prevention. She has an extensive international network within occupational science researchers.
Lisette Farias
Lisette Farias Vera is a Latina scholar, an associate professor, and a senior lecturer at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. She is also an associate editor of the Journal of Occupational Science (JOS) and leads the JOS dual-language initiative to publish articles in Spanish and English. She maintains intensive collaborations between the Global South and North. Her doctoral thesis critically examined the epistemological foundations and discourses shaping occupation-based work. In recent years, her research has focused on health promotion and health equity, using critical occupational science and qualitative methods. She teaches occupational science at the undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels, integrating critical reflexivity, anti racist, and decolonization perspectives.
Michelle Bergin
I am respectfully putting myself forward for election to the OSE Board. I hope to contribute to the continued development of occupational science across Europe, guided by a commitment to understanding how occupations relate to human and planetary health.
For more than 20 years, I have worked consistently to ground my practice in occupation ( not always successfully), across health, education, and disability settings in Ireland and abroad. My PhD, completed through the first European Doctoral Training Programme in Occupational Science, explored schoolyard play as a matter of occupational justice. I now work at University College Cork, where my research draws on critical and decolonial ideas to address societal issues such as play rights, equitable teaching practices and health-promoting environments, and to strengthen the evidence and impact of occupation-focused practices.
I have learned a great deal from opportunities to work and learn across European contexts including participating in OSE’s open, accessible conferences, dialogues, and resources. I believe that we must promote collective reflexivity on our colonial histories, inherited privileges and persistence of deep inequities while examining the diverse ways of knowing and living that exist across this continent. I would welcome the chance to work with Board colleagues to increase engagement with occupational science, including within occupational therapy, for more sustainable and equitable ways of living within and beyond Europe.
Sofia Charakleia
I am Sofia Charakleia, a neurodivergent woman based on the greek island of Crete, currently working at ELEPAP (Protection and Rehabilitation for the Disabled) in the early intervention programme as a registered and licenced Occupational Therapy Assistant, providing therapeutic services, education, support and counselling to infants, toddlers, children and their families.
I have studied at the Department of Chemical Engineering at the National Technical University of Athens and I have completed many certified training programs and worked as an educator in various fields, including systemic psychotherapy, human rights, education, occupational therapy and environmental studies.
I am part of a group called ‘Politics, Policy and Occupational Therapy’, member of a participatory action research exploring the application of neurodiversity-affirming approaches in Pediatric Occupational Therapy clinics in Greece, an active participant in volunteering groups and initiatives , such as the Observatory for Rights in the Field of Mental Health, Neurodiversity Education Academy, Framework for Open and Reproducible Research Training F.O.R.R.T.), project coordinator of Neurodiversity Pride Greece, a self-advocate and an advocate for the community.
I try to contribute to perspectives on diversity, inclusion, accessibility, qualitative research, reflexivity and positionality, decolonization, critical feminism and neurodiversity (POST-Edu) and perspectives on research integrity, social justice and principled education (COST Action proposal– Promoting Regional Networks for Open Science Initiatives PROGNOSIS). My greatest strengths are my interdisciplinary background, divergent neurocognitive profile and my holistic approach to exploring, producing, and disseminating knowledge.
Stina Meyer Larsen
Stina Meyer Larsen is a distinguished scholar and practitioner in the field of occupational science, known and respected for her strong commitment to advancing theoretical, methodological, and practice-oriented dimensions of the discipline. With a background as an occupational therapist and extensive academic experience, she has made significant contributions to the development of occupation-based knowledge and research. Stina Meyer Larsen has played a pivotal role in shaping the discourse of occupational science through her editorial and organizational work. She was a member of the planning committee for the OSE Conference 2023, a key event that fosters dialogue and knowledge exchange in occupational science across Europe. Furthermore, she served as guest editor for a special issue of the Journal of Occupational Science, curating cutting-edge contributions that reflect the evolving landscape of the field. She is also part of the editorial board for the forthcoming edition of Nordisk Aktivitetsvidenskab, underscoring her influence in shaping Nordic perspectives on occupational science. Through her multifaceted contributions as a researcher, educator, and senior lecturer, Stina Meyer Larsen exemplifies a deep and sustained commitment to advancing occupational science and its relevance to both academic and clinical contexts.
Voting is happening between 25th November 2025 to 8th December 2025, please if you are a member of OSE, check your email to access the voting.
Results will be announced 9th December 2025.
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