International Health Humanities Network Membership

I am professor of behavioral science in Patan Academy of Health Sciences (PAHS), Nepal and Central Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Tribhuvan University, Nepal. My areas of interest are health humanities,intra and inter professional relationship, health governance and healer-patient relationahips. PAHS is working in close partnership with the national health system of Nepal to improve the health care services in the remore/rural areas through, among others, producing technically competent and socially responsible health care personnel, facilitating their deployment in the underserved rural areas and providing the needed technical and professional support while they work there. 

I have been researching issues concerning gender and sexual identity in relation to popular culture (especially the depiction of queer masculinities in film, social media, literature and photography) in Latin America, the Caribbean and Latino communities in the USA. My current research has moved onto an exploration of the cultural history of HIV in this geographical areas. I am the editor of 'HIV in World Cultures: 30 Years of Representations' (Ashgate Publishing, 2013) and the author of 'Representations of HIV/AIDS in Hispano-American and Caribbean Culture: cuerpos suiSIDAs' (Ashgate Oublishing , 2014). I am currently investigating the cultural history of HIV stigma in Latin American popular culture. 

I am a Learning Advisor with the Social Inclusion and Wellbeing Team, Nottingham NHS Healthcare Trust, and Fellow of the Institute of Mental Health.  As a member of the Education MIN I've been involved in research and publication on the barriers and benefits of education for people using mental health services.  I have taught Literature in further, higher and adult and community education and personal development courses in the voluntary sector and adult and community education, and have a Ph.D. in literature.

Ms Arya S is a Ph.D. graduate student in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli, India. Her areas of research interest are health humanities, graphic medicine, graphic mental illness narratives and Mad Studies.

Lecturer in Medicine, Registered Nurse, Painter.

I am a literary historian based in Hungary. My research is focussed on the literature of the holocaust. Lately I became interested in Medical Humanities, especially in the connection between dementia and the arts. My interest is not only academic but also deeply personal.

Art-Health practitioner from Singapore. Currently based in Durham.

Past art-health projects includes creative art workshop for Parkinson's Support Group for Singapore General Hospital, Artist mentor for Dreamcatcher project 2012 for support group for youth with chronic illness at National University Hospital, Creative clay workshop for Singapore Parkinson Disease Society, Established "Arts for Us" 2012 and developed and facilitate exploratory pilot art program from resident in residential care. 

PhD candidate (Durham University, UK)

M.A. Photography and Urban Culture (Goldsmiths College, UK)

BFA (School of the Art Institute of Chicago)

Michael Tan, a Singaporean artist, educator and researcher. As a leading advocate for arts & design for health development in Singapore, my research interest explores art and design practices in relation to health & Well-being, care, ageing, and human flourishing. Inspired by assemblage theory, I am interested to explore on the role of creative practice in shaping culture of care in various care settings and the wider context of medical/ health humanities and health communication.

I recently joined Lab4Living at Sheffield Hallam University, UK as a Reader in Art and Design and will be contributing to the lab’s ongoing work on the 100 Year Life & the Future Home as well as mentoring PhDs.  My ongoing collaborations include: The Repository for Arts and Health Resources project led by Sidney De Haan Research Centre for Arts and Health, Canterbury Christ Church University;  The A-health Project (Mcgill University- Nanyang Technological University); Art in Dermatology Education (Duke-NUS). I keen to explore collaboration or supervise projects related, but not limited to the following lines of inquiry:

·       The Future of Care and wellbeing

·       Wonderment and Wellbeing

·       Therapeutic engagements/ experience (e.g. technology-inspired participatory)

·       Therapeutic Objects

·       Communicating Health

As a leading advocate for arts and health development in Singapore, he has been active in promoting awareness for arts and health among stakeholders in the fields of arts, health and social care, while developing and conducting art-health program in various care settings in Singapore such as the Singapore General Hospital, The National University Hospital and the Singapore Parkinson’s society. He has served as a member of the art advisory committee at Ng Teng Fong Hospital, to advise on art for health programming. He has also served as review of grants. He is also the current Country representative (Singapore) for the Arts Health Early Career Research Network. His recent work includes collaboration with the Agency or Integrated Care to develop the Arts, Ageing and Wellbeing Toolkit with students from the MSc in Applied Gerontology programme (NTU), as well as the first every art residency programme in Singapore alongside the Sparks! Art for Wellness toolkit.

I am currently a PhD researcher at the University of Sheffield and my research interests lie at the intersections of culture, music, and health. I am also a music therapist and have worked in medical, special education, and mental health settings. 

Jennifer Frank Tantia is a Dance/movement Therapist and somatic psychotherapist in New York City. She serves as a research advisor at Pratt Institute and teaches developmental and somatic psychology at Adelphi University. Former Program Director of the NY state chapter of the American Dance Therapy Association, she currently serves as Research Chair for the United States Association for Body Psychotherapy and is the US representative for the Scientific Committee of the Eurpoean Association of Body Psychotherapy.

Jennifer works in private practice and leads Authentic Movement groups while completing her doctorate in Somatic Psychology at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Her research on Authentic Movement and the Autonomic Nervous System has been published and presented in the US and Europe. Jennifer's current research and academic interests include teaching embodiment practices to nurses and medical school students for the prevention of burnout and increased quality of care to patients.