Yumi Shirai, PhD

Dr. Yumi Shirai is the director of the Sonoran UCEDD ArtWorks, an instructor at the University of Arizona Department of Family and Community Medicine, a social behavioral scientist, and a trained modern dancer. She holds a PhD in Family Studies and Human Development and a MA in Dance, with an emphasis in Movement Therapy from the University of Arizona. Movement art has continuously provided her with a structured tool and unfolding opportunities to develop her physical, emotional and intellectual strength, to process thoughts and life challenges, to share and engage with others in a larger community. She has instructed creative movement classes for diverse community populations for over 30 years, including youth, older patients in a hospital setting, and adults with intellectual disabilities. Merging her training in Movement Therapy and dance with over 17 years of applied fieldwork and scholarship in the social sciences, her passion is supporting aging individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their family members during late life transitions through development, implementation and evaluation of tools and model programs.