International Health Humanities Network Membership

Jessica is a full-time instructor in the Galileo Learning Community for students in the health sciences at Bellarmine University in Louisville, KY. She teaches English 101 and interdisciplinary courses to students majoring in nursing, exercise science, respiratory therapy, pre-med, etc. She holds a Bachelor's degree in English with a theater minor from Bellarmine University, and a Master's degree of Fine Arts in Writing from Spalding University. She is currently in her third-year of a PhD in Humanities, specializing in medical humanities, and she is working on a dissertation about breast cancer narratives (mammographies) and the ways in which experiences of breast cancer are influenced by pinkwashing and other cultural discourse about the disease. She is also interested in the history of medicine in Europe, the history of anatomy and morbid anatomy, and gender and the body in fairy tales. In her spare time she reads, brews beer, cooks, and watches a lot of trashy TV. 

I am an associate professor at the University of Nottingham and Docent in Social Psychology at the University of Helsinki. My main research area is traumatic stress, particularly but not solely in relation to war. My interests focus not only on the individual but on the socio-cultural and historical factors that impact on the outcome of traumatic events. I am particualrly interested in the forms of narrative that hel;p people cope with their trauma.

John’s research: These will come from an in depth generic first principles approach to understanding and directing the patient’s cellular and molecular mechanisms and responses related to the clinical outcome and efficacy of medical devices, biocompatibility, inflammation and stem cell biology. Tissue engineering processes are developed and applied, addressing the key areas of patient treatments requiring intervention and material implantation; the materials of choice being researched today also include cells and within that, expertise and intellectual property has been created relating to primary cell sourcing, controlling cell function and phenotype through defining and controlling extracellular matrix interactions, angiogenesis, inflammation and tissue regeneration.

OLUCHI IGILI, a Nigerian, is a university teacher and theatre practitioner who is interested in applying the rich resources of drama/theatre in creating a better world for all.

Sima Imsir obtained her PhD from the Department of English, American Studies and Creative Writing at the University of Manchester in 2018 and she is a recipient of the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures Ph.D. scholarship. Her current book project, entitled Health, Literature and Gender in Twentieth-Century Turkey, focuses on constructions and uses of illness in modern Turkish literature (Routledge, contracted). Her research outcomes have appeared in several edited volumes and journals, including Journal of Postcolonial Writing (2021), Journal of Research in Gender Studies (2014), Turkish Literature as World Literature (Bloomsbury, 2021), Women of the Middle East (Routledge, 2016), and Monsters in Society: An Interdisciplinary Perspective (Brill, 2014).

I am a Clinical Nurse Specialist and work within a high secure environment. I am the Recovery representative for the Learning Disability Service and as such am involved in a number of activities and projects exploring and enhancing the Recovery experiences for our population.

I have worked as a music therapist in Germany, U.K. and Australia. I'm an Early Career Researcher at the University of Derby. My research is to explore potential health benefits of arts, in particular, singing (music). 

Yoon is a research fellow at the Health and Social Care Research Centre, University of Derby. Yoon studied and worked in South Korea, Germany, Australia and the UK. Her research area is participatory arts for health and wellbeing. She has been conducting research projects on the potential benefits of singing for people with long-term health conditions and disabilities, such as Cystic Fibrosis, chronic pain, Parkinson’s, stroke and spinal cord injury. Yoon has presented her research at national and international conferences; published in international peer-reviewed journals, including Cochrane Systematic Reviews.

Lecturer, Department of Philosophy, Jagannath University, Dhaka, Bangladesh

I am a Chartered Physiotherapist with 40 years of clinical experience, mostly with children and young people and currently with adults with MSK conditions.

I have recently completed an MA in Medical Humanities at the University of Kent, UK.

My areas of interest for further study/research lie in enhancing wellbeing for both patient groups AND clinical staff through exploring ways to the build resilience and resourcefulness through arts-based activites and interests.

Personal passions are walking my dogs, alone and with company, Mindfulness, theatre (especially off West End and Rep), art gallery surfing, Book Groups and quizzes