Meet AOTA President-Elect Dr. Arameh Anvarizadeh

Arameh Anvarizadeh OTD, OTR/L, FAOTA will serve as the first African American/Iranian President of the American Occupational Therapy Association from July 2025–June 2028 after serving as the youngest Vice President and being inducted into the association’s prestigious Roster of Fellows (FAOTA).

Dr. Anvarizadeh was first exposed to occupational therapy during her undergraduate organic chemistry course when an occupational therapist came to visit her class. This experience led her to switch from pre-med and becoming a neurosurgeon to becoming an occupational therapist. 

Using a Client-centered Lens

As an advocate for occupational justice and founder of the Coalition of Occupational Therapy Advocates for Diversity, Dr. Anvarizadeh rejects marginalization or occupational deprivation of any kind. Her values of “integrity, community, coalition building, and family” are interwoven into her practice and provide a framework for her commitment to equitably serving communities. She brings her unique cultural lens into her client-centered practice and believes in showing up authentically in all settings.

Future of Occupational Therapy

In the future, she sees the field growing to focus more on population health, which includes recognizing the changes that occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) can implement on community, organizational, and societal levels. She calls attention to a holistic view of occupation and consideration of the various intersecting contexts that shape our clients’ lives. One of her visions for the future is seeing more OTPs becoming engaged in advocacy and placing emphasis on the inextricable nature of occupational justice and occupational engagement. Dr. Anvarizadeh also envisions continued growth with unconventional practice spaces such as “engineering, agriculture, aerospace, construction, and inclusive design.” She asserts that there are spaces where people are already doing work within the scope of OT, but are afraid to label it as such. 

Advice for OT Students

Dr. Anvarizadeh’s advice for OT students and new grads entering the field is to:

1. Be bold and say yes to opportunities!
2. Increase your exposure to what you can do in this expansive field and be open-minded. 
3. Advocate for yourselves and your clients. 
4. Always be adaptable and recognize how we can navigate resistance through transformation.

Yewande Sofola is a first-year Doctor of Occupational Therapy student, member of the GW OT Equity Committee, and a graduate assistant in the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Sofola graduated from Princeton University with her Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and Cognitive Science.