Kathleen Bogart

Dr. Bogart is Associate Professor of Psychology and Director of the Disability and Social Interaction Lab at Oregon State University. She is a social/health psychologist specializing in ableism and facial paralysis. Dr. Bogart has received grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Moebius Syndrome Foundation.

Her research focuses on the forgotten “ism,” ableism, or prejudice towards disability. She studies disability from a social psychological perspective, examining others’ attitudes toward disability and the way people with disabilities adapt to their conditions and manage stigma.

Much of her work focuses on the psychosocial implications of facial movement disorders such as facial paralysis and Parkinson’s disease, which affect more than 225,000 Americans each year. One of the most significant consequences of facial paralysis is a face that is inexpressive of one's emotions and unresponsive during social interaction. Half a century’s worth of psychological research suggests that certain basic facial expressions are universally communicated across all cultures. This leaves people with facial paralysis unable to participate in one of the only universal languages. Her research program is threefold: she examines how people with facial movement disorders adapt to their conditions, the way that other people interpret their behavior, and ways to facilitate effective and positive interaction between people with and without facial movement disorders.

Dr. Bogart presents internationally to academic and general audiences about disability awareness, disability as diversity, and facial paralysis. She is available for legal consulting and expert testimony opportunities and has served as an expert legal consultant regarding the social ramifications of facial paralysis.