About

Derek is a Hong Kong-born Canadian who was raised in Vancouver. He completed his Master of Physiotherapy at the University of Queensland in 2015. After that, he worked primarily in private practice in musculoskeletal rehabilitation in both Melbourne and Vancouver. His clinical experience, ranging from persistent pain, occupational health, concussion and the athletic population, sparked his curiosity to interrogate systemic inequalities and cultural factors related to disability and non-communicable diseases within physiotherapy care. This led him to complete a Master of Public Health in Global Health at Thammasat University in Thailand in 2022, aiming to expand his understanding of “what is healthy living” beyond a eurocentric lens. Moving forward, Derek believes that integrating social determinants of health and intersectionality into the physiotherapy curriculum can help improve health equity.