Professor Timothy Newfield Named Director of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship
December 20th, 2023
Meet our new Director of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship, Professor Timothy Newfield! Dr. Newfield is a historical epidemiologist, environmental historian, and assistant professor in the…
A Reading and Conversation with V.V. Ganeshananthan, Author of Brotherless Night
November 16th, 2023
On November 16, the Medical Humanities Initiative held an event with V.V. Ganeshananthan, author of Brotherless Night, a novel that follows the perspective of a young girl who wants to…
The North of Ireland, Modernism, and the Medicalization of Sex with the Global Irish Studies Initiative
November 1st, 2023
On November 1st, Dr. Lloyd Meadhbh Houston gave a talk on The North of Ireland, Modernism, and the Medicalization of Sex with the Global Irish Studies Initiative. This seminar explores the ways in…
Madness and/as Divine History: Sign, Symptom, and Sovereignty in Contemporary Chinese Mediumship and Charismatic Christianity with Professor Emily Ng
October 26th, 2023
On October 26th, Emily Ng, Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania, presented a talk on Madness and/as Divine History: Sign, Symptom, and Sovereignty…
Screening and Discussion of Takeover! The Young Lords’ Historic 1970 Takeover of Lincoln Hospital with Disability Studies
October 23rd, 2023
A screening and discussion of Takeover! The Young Lords’ Historic 1970 Takeover of Lincoln Hospital, with Director Emma Francis-Snyder and Young Lords Member Mickey Melendez took place on October…
Dr. Lakshmi Krishnan Featured in Nautilus Magazine Article “Are We Doctors or Data Workers?”
January 13th, 2023
Michael Denham explores the impact of electronic health records (EHR) on physician professional identity and physician-patient relationships in this Nautilus Magazine article, citing Dr. Lakshmi…
Dr. Lakshmi Krishnan is a Guest Speaker in Episode 70 of Dr. Adam Rodman’s Bedside Rounds Podcast: “A Doctor’s Work”
January 13th, 2023
Dr. Adam Rodman invites Dr. Lakshmi Krishnan and Dr. Michael Neuss onto his podcast series, Bedside Rounds, to discuss their latest article “Virtuosic craft or clerical labour: the rise of the…
Ella Castanier Received a Penner Research Award
October 6th, 2022
Ella Castanier (COL’24) received a Penner Family Experiences Award, which provides undergraduate students experiential learning opportunities.…
James Giordano Featured on CNN Special Report on “Immaculate Concussion, The Truth Behind Havana Syndrome”
September 25th, 2022
On “Immaculate Concussion, The Truth Behind Havana Syndrome”, Dr. James Giordano explains the science and technology potentially behind the Havana syndrome, based on his research on bioweapons.…
How to Have a Conversation, Episode 1: “We Were Confronting Each Other and We Were Being Brave”, María José Pareja Rozo Explores How In Your Shoes Facilitates Conversations
August 31st, 2022
María José Pareja Rozo, Graduate Student of the Medical Humanities Initiative in the 2021-2022 academic year, launched How to Have a Conversation, a podcast about how the arts and humanities engage us in conversation. The pilot episode focuses on the In Your Shoes project, co-created by Derek Goldman.…
The Launch of the New School of Health, under Dr. Christopher King’s Leadership, Is an Opportunity to Reimagine Health Sciences at Georgetown
July 1st, 2022
On July 1, 2022, Georgetown’s new School of Health was launched under the leadership of Dr. Christopher King as inaugural dean, which provides an opportune moment for those whose work or scholarship touches health to inform the architecture of a brand-new enterprise.…
Carpe Diem, Saba Nia’s Debut Novel, Will Be Out in July
June 14th, 2022
Carpe Diem, the debut novel of Saba Nia (COL’23), Psychology Major and Creative Writing and Biology Minor, and one of our 2020-2021 Research Fellowships recipients, will be published by New Degree Press next July.…
Racism as Distraction: Aminatta Forna Writes about Toni Morrison
June 13th, 2022
In this text she wrote for the Luminato Festival Toronto on Toni Morrison, Aminatta Forna reflects about Toni Morrison’s powerful words, that frame racism’s function as distraction.…
Press the Button: Lifelines, Featuring Elisa Reverman
June 13th, 2022
In this episode of the Press the Button podcast, Lovely Umayam and Elisa Revernman talk about the Bombshelltoe Collective‘s Lifelines Project, a collection of personal reflections about the experiences of nuclear policymakers and technical practitioners during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.…
“How to Address Sexuality and Intimacy with People Living with a Serious Illness”, Dr. Hunter Groninger and Anne Kelemen Write for the Center to Advance Palliative Care
June 13th, 2022
Dr. Hunter Groninger and Anne Kelemen address an area that is often overlooked in a routine palliative care assessment: the impact of serious illness on intimacy and sexuality…
Georgetown Lombardi Arts and Humanities Online Classes Build Communities Across the Globe
May 26th, 2022
Early on in the pandemic, Julia Langley, director of the Georgetown Lombardi Arts & Humanities Program, decided to experiment with moving some of the AHP classes online via Zoom and providing free tickets through Eventbrite. They became popular fast, attracting participants from a wide geographic spread, including 22 states, 23 countries and six continents.…
Emily Mendenhall Presents Her Book Unmasked in the New Books in Science, Technology, and Society podcast
May 23rd, 2022
Emily Mendenhall tells host Austin Clyde the story of her most recent book, Unmasked: COVID, Community and the Case of Okoboji from the New Books in Science, Technology, and Society podcast.…
“Reclaiming Power Over One’s Own Story”, Aminatta Forna’s Remarks on Abdulrazak Gurnah from the 2022 PEN America: World Voices Festival Opening Night
May 17th, 2022
In her remarks for the opening night of the 2022 PEN America: World Voices Festival, Aminatta Forna recognizes what makes the work of Nobel Laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah powerful and revealing.…
Dr. Christopher King Talks about How He Will Lead the New School of Health
May 12th, 2022
The new Georgetown University School of Health writes about how Dr. King’s trajectory and the vision he will bring in his role as its inaugural dean.…
Dr. Christopher King will be the Inaugural Dean for the New School of Health
May 12th, 2022
Georgetown President John J. DeGioia announced the appointment of Dr. Christopher King as dean of the new School of Health, which will be formally launched on July 1, 2022.…
“We Could Hack Our Brains to Become Better, More Moral People”, Dr. James Giordano Discusses Neuromorality in Popular Mechanics
May 12th, 2022
Popular Mechanics talks with Dr. James Giordano about attempting to achieve moral enhancement through neuromodularity, and the effects of such modulations in the real world.…
Aaron Gronstal Creates Comic Illustrations to Translate Emily Mendenhall’s Unmasked into Visual Form
May 3rd, 2022
Aaron Gronstal, an astrobiologist and visual artist from Okoboji, uses comic illustrations to translate Emily Mendenhall’s Unmasked: COVID, Community, and the Case of Okoboji into visual form.…
Ella Castanier Awarded a Kalorama Fellowship
April 21st, 2022
Ella Castanier (COL’24) was awarded one of the 2022 Kalorama Summer Research Fellowships, to support her history of medicine project titled, “Checking the Monster Scourge”: Black Healthcare Workers During the 1918 Influenza Pandemic in Philadelphia.…
Social Science & Medicine – Mental Health Video Podcast: Emily Mendenhall on Flourishing and Health in Critical Perspective
April 13th, 2022
Emily Mendenhall and Sarah S. Willen talk about “Flourishing and Health in Critical Perspective: An Invitation to Interdisciplinary Dialogue,” the first series of the Social Science & Medicine – Mental Health journal. The conversation centers around how interdisciplinary dialogue can improve the way we study flourishing and health – and the clinical and policy interventions we propose.…
Iowa Public Radio – Talk of Iowa: Emily Mendenhall on When Okoboji Became a COVID-19 Hotspot
April 8th, 2022
Emily Mendenhall joins host Charity Nebbe to share what she learned when she studied the pandemic in her hometown — Okoboji —, for her book Unmasked: COVID, Community and the Case of Okoboji.…
“On Suffering, Trauma, and Resilience”, The Yale Review Interviews Aminatta Forna
April 1st, 2022
In this interview, James Surowiecki, consulting editor at The Yale Review, talks with Aminatta Forna about her recently published essay “Who Owns Your Story? Transcending the Trauma Narrative”.…
COVID, Quickly, Episode 27: “Second Boosters, Masks in the Next Wave and Smart Risk Decisions”, Scientific American Looks at Emily Mendenhall’s Research About Attitudes Toward Masks
April 1st, 2022
In this episode of the “COVID, Quickly”, Scientific American’s senior health editors Tanya Lewis and Josh Fischman look at Emily Mendenhall’s research on people’s attitudes towards masks, to understand how the decision to wear a mask reflects people’s perceptions of risk and views about government.…
The Bookseller Talks about Rift, Aminatta Forna’s New Book Project
March 31st, 2022
According to The Bookseller, William Collins made a “substantial deal” to publish Aminatta Forna’s new book project, Rift, slated for publication in 2024.…
“Helen Dominic Is Examining the Power that Listening Can Have on Healing,” Georgetown College Talks about the Research of our 2022-23 Fellow
March 16th, 2022
Georgetown College writes about Helen Dominic, and her research in improvements in the ways we handle immigrant care.…
“Where There Is No Hospital”, Aminatta Forna’s Writing about the Book that Saved Lives
March 10th, 2022
Aminatta Forna writes about how the book Where There Is No Doctor was used to save lives during the 2014 Ebola pandemic.…
“What Will We Tell Our Grandkids About The Last Two Years?”, Emily Mendenhall’s Reflections on Scary Mommy
March 8th, 2022
“What stories will we tell our grandchildren? How will the pandemic look to us in 10, 20, 30 years, or more? How will the pandemic period affect how we relate to each other in the future?”. These are some of the questions that Emily Mendenhall explores in her article “What Will We Tell Our Grandkids About The Last Two Years?”, published on Scary Mommy.…
NutrireCoLab Episode 6: Emily Mendenhall Interviews Lauren Carruth about her New Book Love and Liberation
March 2nd, 2022
Emily Mendenhall interviews medical anthropologist Lauren Carruth about her decades of work in the Somali Region of Ethiopia. Carruth describes how she traveled around the country working on medical and humanitarian aid. She delves into the complexities through which love and liberation get revealed in the everyday work of local humanitarian laborers.…
NutrireCoLab Episode 7: Interview with Professor Emily Mendenhall about her New Book Unmasked
March 1st, 2022
Lauren Carruth interviews Emily Mendenhall about how people in her hometown in northwest Iowa responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. She describes why people unmasked and how social relations within the community played out over the course of the pandemic. Many people were very cautious, while some people ignored public health recommendations for personal gain.…
“Who Owns Your Story? Transcending the Trauma Narrative”, Aminatta Forna on The Yale Review
February 28th, 2022
Aminatta Forna examines the ways in which we conflate every difficult experience with trauma, such that suffering and trauma have become interchangeable. …
Fox 5 Covers the New MedStar Health Center for Wellbeing, with Daniel Marchalik
February 28th, 2022
Fox 5 covers the new MedStar Health Center for Wellbeing, featuring Dr. Daniel Marchalik, its executive director, and Crystal Morales, one of its leaders. Fox 5 describes that this local initiative “aims at making sure health care workers tune into their own wellbeing”.…
Stockdale Radio: James Giordano on the Ethics of Brain Science
February 21st, 2022
The third episode of Stockdale Radio three-part series on brain science and technology in relation to military applications.…
“Words about Mental Health Need to Align with People’s Understanding of Well Being”, Piece Co-Authored by Emily Mendenhall in The Conversation
February 21st, 2022
The authors explain how patient perceptions of health may not always align with medical terms.…
“Has the Black Death’s Impact Been Overstated? New Medieval Data Complicates Understanding”, Georgetown College Covers Timothy Newfield’s Research
February 17th, 2022
Georgetown College covers Timothy Newfield’s research, undertaken with an interdisciplinary team, on the Black Death’s impact.…
Stockdale Radio: James Giordano on Weaponizing the Brain
February 14th, 2022
The second episode of Stockdale Radio three-part series on brain science and technology in relation to military applications.…
NutrireCoLab Episode 5: Edna Bosire in Conversation with Emily Mendenhall on her Work at the Intersection of Health, Nutrition, Anthropology, and Health Systems
February 14th, 2022
Emily Mendenhall interviews her longtime colleague Edna Bosire about her personal journey in the field of anthropology, and her work at the intersection of health, nutrition, anthropology, and health systems. Bosire also provides insights into her work as an ethnographer of health policy and systems in Malawi and in her work with Health Systems Global.…
Women in Research: Christopher Tancock Interviews Emily Mendenhall
February 14th, 2022
Emily Mendenhall talks with Christopher Tancock about her work as co-Editor-in-Chief of the Social Science and Medicine-Mental Health journal, and the biggest challenges and obstacles women face in the editorial world.…
“Did the ‘Black Death’ Really Kill Half of Europe? New Research Says No”, The New York Times Covers Timothy Newfield’s Research
February 10th, 2022
The New York Times covers the research Timothy Newfield co-authored and recently published on the uneven impacts of the plague across Europe, causing “a patchwork of destruction”.…
“The Black Death Was not as Widespread or Catastrophic as Long Thought – New Study”, Timothy Newfield, Adam Izdebski and Alessia Masi Write on The Conversation
February 10th, 2022
Timothy Newfield, Adam Izdebski and Alessia Masi compared the Black Death’s demographic impact across the continent, concluding that the pandemic’s toll was not as universal as currently claimed, nor was it always catastrophic.…
“Deep Dive Needed on DC Racial Health Disparities” WTOP News on Research Co-Authored by Dr. Christopher King
February 9th, 2022
WTOP News talks about findings on the recent publication co-authored by Dr. Christopher King, about how structural racism has left DC with stark differences in health outcomes.…
Scrub In Podcast, Episode 9: Getting Centered on Wellbeing, with Dr. Daniel Marchalik
February 8th, 2022
This episode of the Scrub In podcast focuses on the new MedStar Health Center for Wellbeing. Host Crystal Morales, one of the leaders of this new Center, talks with Dr. Daniel Marchalik, its executive director.…
“To Close Racial Health Inequity Chasm, a Comprehensive Audit of Historical Policies, Events and Practices is Needed” the Georgetown University Medical Center Covers Research Co-Authored by Dr. Christopher King
February 7th, 2022
The Georgetown University Medical Center highlights the research co-authored by Dr. Christopher King on how structural racism yields stark differences in health outcomes.…
Stockdale Radio: James Giordano on What Is Brain Science
February 7th, 2022
The first episode of Stockdale Radio three-part series on brain science and technology in relation to military applications.…
Lakshmi Krishnan Featured in Voice of America’s “The Inside Story: Pandemic: Year Three”
January 27th, 2022
Dr. Lakshmi Krishnan was featured on Voice of America’s “The Inside Story: Pandemic: Year Three”. This program has been covering the latest on the COVID-19 pandemic.…
“How I Talk about Activism without Talking about Activism”, Laura Hartmann-Villalta on Modernism/modernity
January 6th, 2022
In this piece published on Modernism/modernity, Laura Hartmann-Villalta writes about her experience making sense of where her work might fit, both into the world of scholarship and the wider world in which scholarship takes shape, and how that led her to defend the cause of the humanities.…
Elisa Reverman Illustrates the Bombshelltoe Policy x Arts Collective’s Lifelines Project
December 30th, 2021
Elisa Revernman, Philosophy PhD student and one of our 2020-2021 Fellowships recipients, illustrated the Bombshelltoe Policy x Arts Collective’s Lifelines Project.…
“Emily Mendenhall Unmasks COVID-19 Denialism in her Hometown”, the Walsh School of Foreign Service Presents Mendenhall’s New Book
December 8th, 2021
The Walsh School of Foreign Service presents Emily Mendenhall’s upcoming book, “Unmasked: COVID, Community and the Case of Okoboji”. “Unmasked” unpacks the “everyday disagreements” about COVID-19 Mendenhall observed firsthand in her hometown during that first pandemic summer. The book is also an examination of the performance of politics as social and cultural practice.…
“New Uses of Conscience-Based Claims Hinder Progress on Abortion Rights,” Kayla Zamanian and Andrés Constantin Write on OpenGlobalRights
December 6th, 2021
Kayla Zamanian (SFS’23), co-authors piece about how conscientious objection has been increasingly used to hinder abortion rights on OpenGlobalRights.…
“We Need School-Age Vaccine Mandates to End the COVID Pandemic”, Emily Mendenhall’s Opinion in Scientific American
November 24th, 2021
Although vaccination has been proven crucial for protecting children and families, many parents are choosing not to vaccinate school-aged children. Emily Mendenhall argues that, to protect the most vulnerable, and to end this pandemic before a new coronavirus mutation takes over, we need to have a federal vaccine mandate for children in public schools.…
“Academia is More Broken than Ever. To Fix it, We Need More and Stronger Unions”, Maggie Levantovskaya Writes about Unionization Bringing Laura Hartmann-Villalta’s Insights
November 22nd, 2021
In her writing about unionization as a solution to academic precarity on Medium, Maggie Levantovskaya brings insights by different scholars who have experienced such precarity, including Laura Hartmann-Villalta.…
“The Limits of Advance Care Planning”, Dr. Michael Pottash’s Perspective on Pallimed
November 22nd, 2021
In this piece published on the Pallimed blog, Michael Pottash responds to the case against advance care planning, arguing that a better framework for thinking about these future-oriented conversations is training clinicians to have Serious Illness Conversations with their patients before they end up in the final stage or in intensive care.…
The Hoya Talks with Maggie Little about the “Disability Ethics” Module of Her Biothics Course
November 19th, 2021
The Hoya interviews Maggie Little about the new three-week disability ethics module that she piloted in her Bioethics course.…
Lesson of Jan Karski, Play Co-Written by Derek Goldman, Featured in the 10 Books that Define Georgetown University Press List
November 11th, 2021
“Remember This: The Lesson of Jan Karski,” written by Clark Young and Derek Goldman, was featured in the list of 10 books that define Georgetown University Press.…
Aminatta Forna in Conversation with John Freeman
November 9th, 2021
On November 9th, 2021, the Lannan Center presented a reading and talk featuring author Aminatta Forna and editor John Freeman to discuss her recently launched book, The Window Seat.…
The Georgetown Health Magazine Talks with Lakshmi Krishnan about the New Medical Humanities Minor
November 8th, 2021
The Georgetown Health Magazine talks with Dr. Lakshmi Krishnan about the interdisciplinary minor in Medical Humanities, Culture, and Society, offered for the first time in the Fall of 2021.…
“Epidemics Have Happened Before and They’ll Happen Again. What Will We Remember?”, Science News Explores the Work Co-Authored by Dr. Lakshmi Krishnan
October 27th, 2021
On its coverage of “Health & Medicine”, Science News examines the research article co-authored by Dr. Lakshmi Krishnan —“Historical Insights on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), the 1918 Influenza Pandemic, and Racial Disparities: Illuminating a Path Forward”— to understand the legacies of the racial health disparities in the historical arc of the 1918 influenza pandemic in the present, to address the social determinants of health that lead to these disparities.…
Science News Presents the Work Co-Authored by Dr. Lakshmi Krishnan on “Epidemics and their Aftermath”
October 27th, 2021
Science News highlights the contributions of the work co-authored by Dr. Lakshmi Krishnan. This research adds to our understanding of the racial health disparities during the 1918 influenza pandemic and their legacies.…
“Soul-Searching and Suspense Carry a Riveting ‘Lesson of Jan Karski’ at Shakespeare Theatre”, The Washington Post Reviews Play Co-Written and Directed by Derek Goldman
October 11th, 2021
The Washington Post reviewed “Remember This: The Lesson of Jan Karski,” written by Clark Young and Derek Goldman and directed by Goldman. It refers to the play as “an invitation to soul-searching.”…
“The Healing Power of the ‘Food is Medicine’ Movement” The Washington Post Talks with Dr. Christopher King about the Work of Food & Friends
October 1st, 2021
On its coverage of the work Food & Friends is doing to tackle the issue of illness and food insecurity, The Washington Post speaks to Dr. Christopher King about the importance of collaboration and partnership for helping economically disadvantaged patients recover and thrive.…
The Hoya Podcast: Community Corner: Upcoming Play Remembers Life, Legacy of Jan Karski, featuring Derek Goldman
September 29th, 2021
The Hoya talks with Derek Goldman about Remember This: The Lesson of Jan Karski and the life of World War II hero, Holocaust witness, and Georgetown University professor Jan Karski. Goldman shares the story of Remember This’s origin and evolution, and his considerations when writing and directing this visceral play.…
Dr. Christopher King Leads the Development of Implicit Bias Education Module for DC Department of Health
September 29th, 2021
Dr. Christopher King is amongst the experts of the Department of Health Systems Administration at the School of Nursing & Health Studies that contributed to the creation of a new educational module on implicit bias, offered by the District of Columbia Department of Health.…
Dr. Toni-Lee Sangastiano’s Paintings on Display in the Permanent Collection Gallery of the Robert A. Facchina Italian American Museum of Washington DC (IAMDC)
September 25th, 2021
On September 25, 2021, The Robert A. Facchina Italian American Museum of Washington DC (IAMDC) hosted a reception for IAMDC artists. Dr. Toni-Lee Sangastiano’s paintings are on display in the permanent collection gallery of the museum and this collection celebrates the contributions of Italian and Italian-American artists throughout DC from the birth of our nation’s capital into the present.…
“Now We Can All Hear You…”, Dr. Hunter Groninger Writes about Palliative Care Tele-Education for the Rohingya Humanitarian Crisis on PallCHASE
September 22nd, 2021
Dr. Hunter Groninger describes his experience of pivoting from traditional in-person teaching to the virtual world, in the context of his teaching of primary palliative care skills to local clinicians providing humanitarian medical aid to the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.…
An Evening with Acclaimed Writer Sofi Oksanen
September 21st, 2021
Virtual reading and conversation with one of the most awarded literary authors in Scandinavia, Finnish-Estonian novelist and playwright , Sofi Oksanen. Moderated by Lannan Center Director, Aminatta Forna.…
Infectious Historians Podcast, Episode #78: Covid in Iowa with Emily Mendenhall
September 17th, 2021
Emily Mendenhall joins Merle Eisenberg and Lee Mordechai to discuss Covid in her hometown in northwest Iowa.…
Dr. Lakshmi Krishnan Featured in the The Library of Congress Magazine’s “Stories From A Pandemic”
September 10th, 2021
The September-October 2021 issue of The Library of Congress Magazine presents “Stories From A Pandemic”, a first-of-its-kind collection of audio diaries newly acquired by the Library that reveals how the pandemic also transformed the way health-care workers view their mission as healers. Dr. Lakshmi Krishnan recounts how she had to change the way she treated patients while fearing for her own life, and cautions, “if we don’t take heed, we could be in this situation again sooner rather than later.”…
COVID, Quickly, Episode 14: “Best Masks, Explaining Mask Anger, Biden’s New Plan”, Scientific American Tackled Emily Mendenhall’s Research
September 10th, 2021
In this episode of Scientific American’s podcast series “COVID, Quickly”, senior health editors Tanya Lewis and Josh Fischman explore Emily Mendenhall’s research on mask rejection in Okoboji, Iowa.…
ASHA Voices Podcast: Confronting Health Care Disparities, featuring Dr. Davetrina Seles Gadson, Dr. Christopher King, and Dr. Deliya Wesley
September 2nd, 2021
In the ASHA Voices podcast, Georgetown Dr. Davetrina Seles Gadson, Dr. Christopher King and Dr. Deliya Wesley explain how the COVID-19 pandemic has been drawing public attention to disparities in care that have always existed, and they shared how clinicians can confront these inequities.…
“How COVID, Inequality and Politics Make a Vicious Syndemic”, Emily Mendenhall and Clarence C. Gravlee in Scientific American
August 26th, 2021
Emily Mendenhall and Clarence C. Gravlee analyze the conditions that made COVID a syndemic in the US.…
Always Take Notes Podcast, Episode 115: Aminatta Forna
August 24th, 2021
Aminatta Forna speaks with the Always Take Notes hosts, Simon Akam and Rachel Lloyd, about her early work at the BBC, the similarities between creative non-fiction and fiction and her decision to take up a post at Georgetown University.…
Third Culture Africans Podcast: Aminatta Forna, Changing the Narrative on Identity, Grief, and Appropriation
August 23rd, 2021
Aminatta Forna talks with Zeze Oriaikhi-Sao about about the impact words can have on people, why she thinks appropriation can cause great damage to the literary and arts world, and why the elevation of victimhood does nothing for actual progress.…
COVIDCalls Podcast, Episode #320: Medical Humanities, Literature, COVID-19 w/Guest Host Jacob-Steere Williams featuring Dr. Lakshmi Krishnan and Dr. Lorenzo Servitje
August 12th, 2021
A daily discussion of the COVID-19 pandemic featuring Dr. Lakshmi Krishnan and Dr. Lorenzo Servitje – hosted by Dr. Scott Gabriel Knowles, a historian of disasters at KAIST in Daejeon, South Korea.…
Infectious Historians Podcast, Episode #72: Climate Change and the Globalization of Disease in the Early Middle Ages with Tim Newfield
July 29th, 2021
Timothy Newfield talks to Merle Eisenberg and Lee Mordechai about the connected histories of climate change and diseases that become pandemics, focusing on the early medieval and late antique periods.…
Words: Sideshow, Freak Show, Circus
July 27th, 2021
In this short silent film, Toni-Lee Sangastiano presents media headlines that employ the words “freak show, sideshow, and circus” as negative metaphors in politics and business, based on selected data from daily Google Alerts for those keywords, between 2016 and 2021.…
“What is Supplication?” Greek Myth Comix by Jenks Explains Victoria Pedrick’s Research Using Stick-Man Comics
July 27th, 2021
L E Jenkinson-Brown, Classical Civilisation and Literature teacher, writer, and stick-figure artist, drew this comic piece to illustrate Victoria Pedrick’s research paper: “Supplication in the Iliad and the Odyssey” on her site Greek Myth Comix.…
Ethical Research Podcast Episode 9: Dr. Maggie Little on Research During Pregnancy
July 21st, 2021
Maggie Little talks with Dr. Ran Goldman about the exclusion of pregnant women from medical research.…
Radio New Zealand’s Saturday Morning Podcast: Aminatta Forna: Observations from the Window Seat
July 10th, 2021
Aminatta Forna talks with Radio New Zeland’s podcast “Saturday Morning”’s host, Kim Hill, about her most recent book, The Window Seat: Notes From A Life In Motion.…
Dr. Christopher King Speaks to WAMU 88.5 about the Health Gap between Black and White Seniors in D.C.
June 22nd, 2021
Dr. Christopher King speaks to WAMU 88.5 about the racial health gap between Washington D.C.’s 50+ black and white residents. The health gap results in greater health complications for older Black Washingtonians compared to their white peers.…
The Georgetown University School of Nursing & Health Studies Covers Health Disparities Report Co-Authored by Dr. Christopher King, in Collaboration with AARP DC
June 11th, 2021
The Georgetown University Medical Center highlights the research co-authored by Dr. Christopher King on how structural racism yields stark differences in health outcomes.…
“Chasing a Waking Life: On the Pains of Being an Insomniac”, Aminatta Forna on a Cultural and Personal History of Sleeplessness
June 9th, 2021
In her essay published on Literary Hub, Aminatta Forna writes about her experience of insomnia, while she explores the insights of doctors, scientists, philosophers and writes who have analyzed sleeplessness in different ways.…
Sylvia Önder and Heidi Hamilton Received Faculty Awards at the Georgetown College’s 2021 Tropaia and Faculty of Languages and Linguistics Awards Ceremonies
May 22nd, 2021
On May 22, 2021, Sylvia Önder was awarded the Edward B. Bunn, S.J. Award for Faculty Excellence at the Georgetown College’s Tropaia 2021 Ceremony, and Heidi Hamilton received the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics Distinguished Service Award at the 2021 Faculty of Languages and Linguistics Awards Ceremony.…
CITY LIGHTS LIVE! Aminatta Forna in Conversation with Eula Biss
May 19th, 2021
Aminatta Forna in conversation with Eula Biss, discussing her new book, The Window Seat: Notes From a Life in Motion, published by Grove Press. This event was originally broadcasted via Zoom and hosted by Josiah Luis Alderete.…
“Hame”, Orion Magazine Publishes Excerpt of Aminatta Forna’s The Window Seat
May 17th, 2021
Orion Magazine published an excerpt of “Hame”, one of the essays that make up Aminatta Forna’s most recent book, The Window Seat: Notes from a Life in Motion.…
“The Importance of Public-Private Partnerships and Preparing for the Next Pandemic,” Kayla Zamanian Writes about Natasha Bilimoria’s Contributions to the Conversations in Global Health Class
May 3rd, 2021
Kayla Zamanian (SFS’23) writes about the role of public-private partnerships and the importance of health system strengthening as a way of preparing for future pandemics, based on “The Future of Global Public Health: A Conversation with Natasha Bilimoria”.…
“Neurodata and Defence: Part II – Beyond NINA -The Need for Integrative Digital Biosecurity”, Defence IQ Piece Co-Authored by Dr. James Giordano
April 16th, 2021
James Giordano, Joseph DeFranco, and Diane DiEuliis propose an integrative approach to digital biosecurity to address present and future challenges of the convergence of neurobiology and computational capabilities.…
“Neurodata & Defence: Part I – Realities and Risks”, Defence IQ Piece Co-Authored by Dr. James Giordano
April 14th, 2021
In this piece published on Defence IQ, James Giordano, Joseph DeFranco, and Diane DiEuliis address the challenges arising from the development of newer techniques and technologies –inclusive of neurodata– in relation to national security and defense initiatives.…
Georgetown College Writes About the Medical Humanities Initiative’s New Minor
March 22nd, 2021
Georgetown College shared the announcement of the launch of the interdisciplinary minor in Medical Humanities, Culture, and Society, which, in Nicoletta Pireddu’s words, “demonstrates that the rigor of scientific data and the spark of imagination can work together with exciting results”. …
The Georgetown Lombardi’s Arts & Humanities Program Received National Endowment for the Arts Grant
February 14th, 2021
In February, 2021, the Georgetown Lombardi Arts & Humanities Program, directed by Julia Langley, was awarded a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to study the effect of music on ICU patients’ neurologic and physiologic responses.…
“An Innovative Georgetown Lab Looks to Theater to Quell Political Fires”, The Washington Post Talks About the “In Your Shoes” Project, Co-Created by Derek Goldman
February 12th, 2021
The Washington Post highlights Derek Goldman’s methodology of “performing one another”, as well as many other initiatives by the Laboratory for Global Performance, including “Here I Am,” a digital performance piece that premiered in April 2021; and and “Remember This: The Lesson of Jan Karski,” written by Clark Young and Derek Goldman and directed by Goldman.…
“Medical Humanities Initiative Creates Novel Learning Opportunities with Interdisciplinary Students and Faculty”, The Georgetown University Medical Center Covers the Work of the Medical Humanities Initiative
January 28th, 2021
The Georgetown University Medical Center wrote about the novel learning opportunities that the Georgetown University Medical Humanities Initiative provides for undergraduate and medical students, by extending classical humanities studies into the realm of illness and disease.…
AHR Interview: Merle Eisenberg and Lee Mordechai in Conversation with John McNeill on the Plague Concept
January 1st, 2021
Merle Eisenberg and Lee Mordechai join this conversation with John McNeill. They discuss their article “The Justinianic Plague and Global Pandemics: The Making of the Plague Concept,” which appeared in the AHR.…
Everybody Hates Me: Let’s Talk About Stigma Podcast: Dr. Emily Mendenhall, Stigma, Syndemics and Diabetes
December 23rd, 2020
Emily Mendenhall discusses with host Dr. Carmen Logie the concept of syndemic, based on her global research on diabetes, HIV, violence, depression and trauma.…
“The Role of the Humanities in Medical Studies,” Christopher Swisher Writes about the impact of the Medical Humanities in his Educational Experience
December 19th, 2020
Christopher Swisher (M’22) writes about the impact of the Georgetown Humanities Initiative in his medical studies.…
Daniel Marchalik Writes on How Gratitude Can Help to Reduce Burnout in Hospital Caregivers
December 18th, 2020
In this entry for the MedStar Health Blog, Dr. Daniel Marchalik writes about the prevalence of burnout amongst healthcare professionals, and how the recent public health crisis has further expanded that issue, and talks about how patients and loved ones of those who are sick can help reduce caregiver burnout.…
“The Social Effects of Medicalizing an Entire Race,” Elisa Reverman Writes on the Georgetown Humanities Initiative
December 18th, 2020
Elisa Revernman, Philosophy PhD student and one of our 2020-2021 Fellowship recipients, writes about her research project for the Georgetown Humanities Initiative.…
Lakshmi Krishnan Awarded Research Fellowship from National Endowment for the Humanities
December 16th, 2020
On December 16, 2020, the National Endowment for the Humanities announced its grants to support different humanities projects. It awarded Lakshmi Krishnan a research fellowship to work on her book project, The Doctor and the Detective: A Cultural History of Diagnosis.…
Elisa Reverman Illustrates the Bombshelltoe Policy x Arts Collective’s Lifelines Project
December 30th, 2021
Elisa Revernman, Philosophy PhD student and one of our 2020-2021 Fellowships recipients, illustrated the Bombshelltoe Policy x Arts Collective’s Lifelines Project.…
“Emily Mendenhall Unmasks COVID-19 Denialism in her Hometown”, the Walsh School of Foreign Service Presents Mendenhall’s New Book
December 8th, 2021
The Walsh School of Foreign Service presents Emily Mendenhall’s upcoming book, “Unmasked: COVID, Community and the Case of Okoboji”. “Unmasked” unpacks the “everyday disagreements” about COVID-19 Mendenhall observed firsthand in her hometown during that first pandemic summer. The book is also an examination of the performance of politics as social and cultural practice.…
“New Uses of Conscience-Based Claims Hinder Progress on Abortion Rights,” Kayla Zamanian and Andrés Constantin Write on OpenGlobalRights
December 6th, 2021
Kayla Zamanian (SFS’23), co-authors piece about how conscientious objection has been increasingly used to hinder abortion rights on OpenGlobalRights.…
“We Need School-Age Vaccine Mandates to End the COVID Pandemic”, Emily Mendenhall’s Opinion in Scientific American
November 24th, 2021
Although vaccination has been proven crucial for protecting children and families, many parents are choosing not to vaccinate school-aged children. Emily Mendenhall argues that, to protect the most vulnerable, and to end this pandemic before a new coronavirus mutation takes over, we need to have a federal vaccine mandate for children in public schools.…
“Academia is More Broken than Ever. To Fix it, We Need More and Stronger Unions”, Maggie Levantovskaya Writes about Unionization Bringing Laura Hartmann-Villalta’s Insights
November 22nd, 2021
In her writing about unionization as a solution to academic precarity on Medium, Maggie Levantovskaya brings insights by different scholars who have experienced such precarity, including Laura Hartmann-Villalta.…
“The Limits of Advance Care Planning”, Dr. Michael Pottash’s Perspective on Pallimed
November 22nd, 2021
In this piece published on the Pallimed blog, Michael Pottash responds to the case against advance care planning, arguing that a better framework for thinking about these future-oriented conversations is training clinicians to have Serious Illness Conversations with their patients before they end up in the final stage or in intensive care.…
The Hoya Talks with Maggie Little about the “Disability Ethics” Module of Her Biothics Course
November 19th, 2021
The Hoya interviews Maggie Little about the new three-week disability ethics module that she piloted in her Bioethics course.…
Lesson of Jan Karski, Play Co-Written by Derek Goldman, Featured in the 10 Books that Define Georgetown University Press List
November 11th, 2021
“Remember This: The Lesson of Jan Karski,” written by Clark Young and Derek Goldman, was featured in the list of 10 books that define Georgetown University Press.…
Aminatta Forna in Conversation with John Freeman
November 9th, 2021
On November 9th, 2021, the Lannan Center presented a reading and talk featuring author Aminatta Forna and editor John Freeman to discuss her recently launched book, The Window Seat.…
The Georgetown Health Magazine Talks with Lakshmi Krishnan about the New Medical Humanities Minor
November 8th, 2021
The Georgetown Health Magazine talks with Dr. Lakshmi Krishnan about the interdisciplinary minor in Medical Humanities, Culture, and Society, offered for the first time in the Fall of 2021.…
“Epidemics Have Happened Before and They’ll Happen Again. What Will We Remember?”, Science News Explores the Work Co-Authored by Dr. Lakshmi Krishnan
October 27th, 2021
On its coverage of “Health & Medicine”, Science News examines the research article co-authored by Dr. Lakshmi Krishnan —“Historical Insights on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), the 1918 Influenza Pandemic, and Racial Disparities: Illuminating a Path Forward”— to understand the legacies of the racial health disparities in the historical arc of the 1918 influenza pandemic in the present, to address the social determinants of health that lead to these disparities.…
Science News Presents the Work Co-Authored by Dr. Lakshmi Krishnan on “Epidemics and their Aftermath”
October 27th, 2021
Science News highlights the contributions of the work co-authored by Dr. Lakshmi Krishnan. This research adds to our understanding of the racial health disparities during the 1918 influenza pandemic and their legacies.…
“Soul-Searching and Suspense Carry a Riveting ‘Lesson of Jan Karski’ at Shakespeare Theatre”, The Washington Post Reviews Play Co-Written and Directed by Derek Goldman
October 11th, 2021
The Washington Post reviewed “Remember This: The Lesson of Jan Karski,” written by Clark Young and Derek Goldman and directed by Goldman. It refers to the play as “an invitation to soul-searching.”…
“The Healing Power of the ‘Food is Medicine’ Movement” The Washington Post Talks with Dr. Christopher King about the Work of Food & Friends
October 1st, 2021
On its coverage of the work Food & Friends is doing to tackle the issue of illness and food insecurity, The Washington Post speaks to Dr. Christopher King about the importance of collaboration and partnership for helping economically disadvantaged patients recover and thrive.…
The Hoya Podcast: Community Corner: Upcoming Play Remembers Life, Legacy of Jan Karski, featuring Derek Goldman
September 29th, 2021
The Hoya talks with Derek Goldman about Remember This: The Lesson of Jan Karski and the life of World War II hero, Holocaust witness, and Georgetown University professor Jan Karski. Goldman shares the story of Remember This’s origin and evolution, and his considerations when writing and directing this visceral play.…
Dr. Christopher King Leads the Development of Implicit Bias Education Module for DC Department of Health
September 29th, 2021
Dr. Christopher King is amongst the experts of the Department of Health Systems Administration at the School of Nursing & Health Studies that contributed to the creation of a new educational module on implicit bias, offered by the District of Columbia Department of Health.…
Dr. Toni-Lee Sangastiano’s Paintings on Display in the Permanent Collection Gallery of the Robert A. Facchina Italian American Museum of Washington DC (IAMDC)
September 25th, 2021
On September 25, 2021, The Robert A. Facchina Italian American Museum of Washington DC (IAMDC) hosted a reception for IAMDC artists. Dr. Toni-Lee Sangastiano’s paintings are on display in the permanent collection gallery of the museum and this collection celebrates the contributions of Italian and Italian-American artists throughout DC from the birth of our nation’s capital into the present.…
“Now We Can All Hear You…”, Dr. Hunter Groninger Writes about Palliative Care Tele-Education for the Rohingya Humanitarian Crisis on PallCHASE
September 22nd, 2021
Dr. Hunter Groninger describes his experience of pivoting from traditional in-person teaching to the virtual world, in the context of his teaching of primary palliative care skills to local clinicians providing humanitarian medical aid to the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.…
An Evening with Acclaimed Writer Sofi Oksanen
September 21st, 2021
Virtual reading and conversation with one of the most awarded literary authors in Scandinavia, Finnish-Estonian novelist and playwright , Sofi Oksanen. Moderated by Lannan Center Director, Aminatta Forna.…
Infectious Historians Podcast, Episode #78: Covid in Iowa with Emily Mendenhall
September 17th, 2021
Emily Mendenhall joins Merle Eisenberg and Lee Mordechai to discuss Covid in her hometown in northwest Iowa.…
Dr. Lakshmi Krishnan Featured in the The Library of Congress Magazine’s “Stories From A Pandemic”
September 10th, 2021
The September-October 2021 issue of The Library of Congress Magazine presents “Stories From A Pandemic”, a first-of-its-kind collection of audio diaries newly acquired by the Library that reveals how the pandemic also transformed the way health-care workers view their mission as healers. Dr. Lakshmi Krishnan recounts how she had to change the way she treated patients while fearing for her own life, and cautions, “if we don’t take heed, we could be in this situation again sooner rather than later.”…
COVID, Quickly, Episode 14: “Best Masks, Explaining Mask Anger, Biden’s New Plan”, Scientific American Tackled Emily Mendenhall’s Research
September 10th, 2021
In this episode of Scientific American’s podcast series “COVID, Quickly”, senior health editors Tanya Lewis and Josh Fischman explore Emily Mendenhall’s research on mask rejection in Okoboji, Iowa.…
ASHA Voices Podcast: Confronting Health Care Disparities, featuring Dr. Davetrina Seles Gadson, Dr. Christopher King, and Dr. Deliya Wesley
September 2nd, 2021
In the ASHA Voices podcast, Georgetown Dr. Davetrina Seles Gadson, Dr. Christopher King and Dr. Deliya Wesley explain how the COVID-19 pandemic has been drawing public attention to disparities in care that have always existed, and they shared how clinicians can confront these inequities.…
“How COVID, Inequality and Politics Make a Vicious Syndemic”, Emily Mendenhall and Clarence C. Gravlee in Scientific American
August 26th, 2021
Emily Mendenhall and Clarence C. Gravlee analyze the conditions that made COVID a syndemic in the US.…
Always Take Notes Podcast, Episode 115: Aminatta Forna
August 24th, 2021
Aminatta Forna speaks with the Always Take Notes hosts, Simon Akam and Rachel Lloyd, about her early work at the BBC, the similarities between creative non-fiction and fiction and her decision to take up a post at Georgetown University.…
Third Culture Africans Podcast: Aminatta Forna, Changing the Narrative on Identity, Grief, and Appropriation
August 23rd, 2021
Aminatta Forna talks with Zeze Oriaikhi-Sao about about the impact words can have on people, why she thinks appropriation can cause great damage to the literary and arts world, and why the elevation of victimhood does nothing for actual progress.…
COVIDCalls Podcast, Episode #320: Medical Humanities, Literature, COVID-19 w/Guest Host Jacob-Steere Williams featuring Dr. Lakshmi Krishnan and Dr. Lorenzo Servitje
August 12th, 2021
A daily discussion of the COVID-19 pandemic featuring Dr. Lakshmi Krishnan and Dr. Lorenzo Servitje – hosted by Dr. Scott Gabriel Knowles, a historian of disasters at KAIST in Daejeon, South Korea.…
Infectious Historians Podcast, Episode #72: Climate Change and the Globalization of Disease in the Early Middle Ages with Tim Newfield
July 29th, 2021
Timothy Newfield talks to Merle Eisenberg and Lee Mordechai about the connected histories of climate change and diseases that become pandemics, focusing on the early medieval and late antique periods.…
Words: Sideshow, Freak Show, Circus
July 27th, 2021
In this short silent film, Toni-Lee Sangastiano presents media headlines that employ the words “freak show, sideshow, and circus” as negative metaphors in politics and business, based on selected data from daily Google Alerts for those keywords, between 2016 and 2021.…
“What is Supplication?” Greek Myth Comix by Jenks Explains Victoria Pedrick’s Research Using Stick-Man Comics
July 27th, 2021
L E Jenkinson-Brown, Classical Civilisation and Literature teacher, writer, and stick-figure artist, drew this comic piece to illustrate Victoria Pedrick’s research paper: “Supplication in the Iliad and the Odyssey” on her site Greek Myth Comix.…
Ethical Research Podcast Episode 9: Dr. Maggie Little on Research During Pregnancy
July 21st, 2021
Maggie Little talks with Dr. Ran Goldman about the exclusion of pregnant women from medical research.…
Radio New Zealand’s Saturday Morning Podcast: Aminatta Forna: Observations from the Window Seat
July 10th, 2021
Aminatta Forna talks with Radio New Zeland’s podcast “Saturday Morning”’s host, Kim Hill, about her most recent book, The Window Seat: Notes From A Life In Motion.…
Dr. Christopher King Speaks to WAMU 88.5 about the Health Gap between Black and White Seniors in D.C.
June 22nd, 2021
Dr. Christopher King speaks to WAMU 88.5 about the racial health gap between Washington D.C.’s 50+ black and white residents. The health gap results in greater health complications for older Black Washingtonians compared to their white peers.…
The Georgetown University School of Nursing & Health Studies Covers Health Disparities Report Co-Authored by Dr. Christopher King, in Collaboration with AARP DC
June 11th, 2021
The Georgetown University Medical Center highlights the research co-authored by Dr. Christopher King on how structural racism yields stark differences in health outcomes.…
“Chasing a Waking Life: On the Pains of Being an Insomniac”, Aminatta Forna on a Cultural and Personal History of Sleeplessness
June 9th, 2021
In her essay published on Literary Hub, Aminatta Forna writes about her experience of insomnia, while she explores the insights of doctors, scientists, philosophers and writes who have analyzed sleeplessness in different ways.…
Sylvia Önder and Heidi Hamilton Received Faculty Awards at the Georgetown College’s 2021 Tropaia and Faculty of Languages and Linguistics Awards Ceremonies
May 22nd, 2021
On May 22, 2021, Sylvia Önder was awarded the Edward B. Bunn, S.J. Award for Faculty Excellence at the Georgetown College’s Tropaia 2021 Ceremony, and Heidi Hamilton received the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics Distinguished Service Award at the 2021 Faculty of Languages and Linguistics Awards Ceremony.…
CITY LIGHTS LIVE! Aminatta Forna in Conversation with Eula Biss
May 19th, 2021
Aminatta Forna in conversation with Eula Biss, discussing her new book, The Window Seat: Notes From a Life in Motion, published by Grove Press. This event was originally broadcasted via Zoom and hosted by Josiah Luis Alderete.…
“Hame”, Orion Magazine Publishes Excerpt of Aminatta Forna’s The Window Seat
May 17th, 2021
Orion Magazine published an excerpt of “Hame”, one of the essays that make up Aminatta Forna’s most recent book, The Window Seat: Notes from a Life in Motion.…
“The Importance of Public-Private Partnerships and Preparing for the Next Pandemic,” Kayla Zamanian Writes about Natasha Bilimoria’s Contributions to the Conversations in Global Health Class
May 3rd, 2021
Kayla Zamanian (SFS’23) writes about the role of public-private partnerships and the importance of health system strengthening as a way of preparing for future pandemics, based on “The Future of Global Public Health: A Conversation with Natasha Bilimoria”.…
“Neurodata and Defence: Part II – Beyond NINA -The Need for Integrative Digital Biosecurity”, Defence IQ Piece Co-Authored by Dr. James Giordano
April 16th, 2021
James Giordano, Joseph DeFranco, and Diane DiEuliis propose an integrative approach to digital biosecurity to address present and future challenges of the convergence of neurobiology and computational capabilities.…
“Neurodata & Defence: Part I – Realities and Risks”, Defence IQ Piece Co-Authored by Dr. James Giordano
April 14th, 2021
In this piece published on Defence IQ, James Giordano, Joseph DeFranco, and Diane DiEuliis address the challenges arising from the development of newer techniques and technologies –inclusive of neurodata– in relation to national security and defense initiatives.…
Georgetown College Writes About the Medical Humanities Initiative’s New Minor
March 22nd, 2021
Georgetown College shared the announcement of the launch of the interdisciplinary minor in Medical Humanities, Culture, and Society, which, in Nicoletta Pireddu’s words, “demonstrates that the rigor of scientific data and the spark of imagination can work together with exciting results”. …
The Georgetown Lombardi’s Arts & Humanities Program Received National Endowment for the Arts Grant
February 14th, 2021
In February, 2021, the Georgetown Lombardi Arts & Humanities Program, directed by Julia Langley, was awarded a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to study the effect of music on ICU patients’ neurologic and physiologic responses.…
“An Innovative Georgetown Lab Looks to Theater to Quell Political Fires”, The Washington Post Talks About the “In Your Shoes” Project, Co-Created by Derek Goldman
February 12th, 2021
The Washington Post highlights Derek Goldman’s methodology of “performing one another”, as well as many other initiatives by the Laboratory for Global Performance, including “Here I Am,” a digital performance piece that premiered in April 2021; and and “Remember This: The Lesson of Jan Karski,” written by Clark Young and Derek Goldman and directed by Goldman.…
“Medical Humanities Initiative Creates Novel Learning Opportunities with Interdisciplinary Students and Faculty”, The Georgetown University Medical Center Covers the Work of the Medical Humanities Initiative
January 28th, 2021
The Georgetown University Medical Center wrote about the novel learning opportunities that the Georgetown University Medical Humanities Initiative provides for undergraduate and medical students, by extending classical humanities studies into the realm of illness and disease.…
AHR Interview: Merle Eisenberg and Lee Mordechai in Conversation with John McNeill on the Plague Concept
January 1st, 2021
Merle Eisenberg and Lee Mordechai join this conversation with John McNeill. They discuss their article “The Justinianic Plague and Global Pandemics: The Making of the Plague Concept,” which appeared in the AHR.…
Everybody Hates Me: Let’s Talk About Stigma Podcast: Dr. Emily Mendenhall, Stigma, Syndemics and Diabetes
December 23rd, 2020
Emily Mendenhall discusses with host Dr. Carmen Logie the concept of syndemic, based on her global research on diabetes, HIV, violence, depression and trauma.…
“The Role of the Humanities in Medical Studies,” Christopher Swisher Writes about the impact of the Medical Humanities in his Educational Experience
December 19th, 2020
Christopher Swisher (M’22) writes about the impact of the Georgetown Humanities Initiative in his medical studies.…
Daniel Marchalik Writes on How Gratitude Can Help to Reduce Burnout in Hospital Caregivers
December 18th, 2020
In this entry for the MedStar Health Blog, Dr. Daniel Marchalik writes about the prevalence of burnout amongst healthcare professionals, and how the recent public health crisis has further expanded that issue, and talks about how patients and loved ones of those who are sick can help reduce caregiver burnout.…
“The Social Effects of Medicalizing an Entire Race,” Elisa Reverman Writes on the Georgetown Humanities Initiative
December 18th, 2020
Elisa Revernman, Philosophy PhD student and one of our 2020-2021 Fellowship recipients, writes about her research project for the Georgetown Humanities Initiative.…
Lakshmi Krishnan Awarded Research Fellowship from National Endowment for the Humanities
December 16th, 2020
On December 16, 2020, the National Endowment for the Humanities announced its grants to support different humanities projects. It awarded Lakshmi Krishnan a research fellowship to work on her book project, The Doctor and the Detective: A Cultural History of Diagnosis.…
AHR Interview: Monica H. Green in Conversation with John McNeill on The Four Black Deaths
December 16th, 2020
In this episode John McNeill speaks with Monica H. Green, a historian of medicine and global health, about her article, “The Four Black Deaths,” which appeared in the AHR. In it, Green suggests both a broader and more nuanced understanding of how plague spread in the late medieval world.…
Take the Lead Podcast: “Brain Science: Accessing The Brain And Its Functions Ethically”, Dr. James Giordano in Conversation with Dr. Diane Hamilton
December 9th, 2020
Dr. James Giordano talks with Dr. Diane Hamilton about the neuroethical aspect of brain science, digging deep into the brain science of morality and ethics and the ethical, legal, and social issues that arise in and from neuroscience and its varied applications in biomedicine, public life, and daily occupational pursuits.…
Infectious Historians Podcast, Episode #39: Environmental History: Past, Present, and Future with John McNeill
December 6th, 2020
John McNeill speaks with Merle Eisenberg and Lee Mordechai about the changes to environmental and disease history over the last half century.…
The Georgetown Humanities Initiative Writes About Dr. Lakshmi Krishnan’s Leadership of the Medical Humanities Initiative
December 4th, 2020
The Georgetown Humanities Initiative introduced the Medical Humanities Initiative, with a particular focus on Dr. Lakshmi Krishnan’s experience and vision as leader of the initiative.…
The Hoya Covers The Lab’s “Bearing Witness: The Legacy of Jan Karski Today” Event
December 4th, 2020
The Hoya reported on The Lab’s “Bearing Witness: The Legacy of Jan Karski Today”, a special event honoring the legacy of Jan Karski and its relevance to the current moment, which took place on December 3, 2020. The conversation was moderated by theater professor Derek Goldman, who directed and co-authored the play.…
The Georgetown Voice Talks with Dr. Lakshmi Krishnan about Racial Disparities in Healthcare and Science
November 19th, 2020
On its coverage of “Such a Time As This”, the Racial Justice and the University Series, The Georgetown Voice presents the five events held during October 2020 that brought together faculty members working in related fields to explore dimensions of racial structures in the United States, as well as the connections of their research to global questions of racial justice.…
![Panel from the A tale of two pandemics comic. Caption: "Working together at Johns Hopkins University, doctors Lakshmi Krishnan, S. Michelle Ogunwole, and Lisa A. Cooper wrote about the racial dynamics of the 1918 pandemic...". On the right, image of a journal with the headline: "Historical Insights on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), the 1918 Influenza Pandemic, and Racial Disparities: Illuminating a Path Forward". Underneath, image of three female doctors, identified as Dr. Krishnan, Dr. Ogunwole and Dr. Cooper, with this speech bubble: "Contagion... augmented biologically deterministic beliefs, including that blacks were innately immune to certain diseases". On the right, Dr. Krishnan with this speech bubble: "As a result of biological theories of [black] immunity that used to circulate in the white community, and then get repackaged in the black community, these stories endure".](https://medicalhumanities.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/316/2021/10/A-tale-of-two-pandemics-e1635611266982.png "Panel from the A tale of two pandemics comic. Caption: \"Working together at Johns Hopkins University, doctors Lakshmi Krishnan, S. Michelle Ogunwole, and Lisa A. Cooper wrote about the racial dynamics of the 1918 pandemic...\". On the right, image of a journal with the headline: \"Historical Insights on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), the 1918 Influenza Pandemic, and Racial Disparities: Illuminating a Path Forward\". Underneath, image of three female doctors, identified as Dr. Krishnan, Dr. Ogunwole and Dr. Cooper, with this speech bubble: \"Contagion... augmented biologically deterministic beliefs, including that blacks were innately immune to certain diseases\". On the right, Dr. Krishnan with this speech bubble: \"As a result of biological theories of [black] immunity that used to circulate in the white community, and then get repackaged in the black community, these stories endure\".")
“A Tale of Two Pandemics: Historical Insights on Persistent Racial Disparities” Uses the Form of Comics Journalism to Highlight Research Co-Authored by Dr. Lakshmi Krishnan
November 16th, 2020
In a “A Tale of Two Pandemics: Historical Insights on Persistent Racial Disparities,” Josh Neufeld uses the form of comics journalism to highlight research co-authored by Dr. Lakshmi Krishnan.…
Readings and Talks featuring Valeria Luiselli
October 20th, 2020
Evening with award-winning novelist and essayist, Valeria Luiselli. This event was moderated by Lannan Center Director and author Aminatta Forna and was cosponsored by the Georgetown Medical Humanities Initiative.…
“Why African Americans Were More Likely to Die During the 1918 Flu Pandemic”, Dr. Lakshmi Krishnan Explains in the History Channel
October 5th, 2020
Dr. Lakshmi Krishnan explains how African Americans lived during the 1918 influenza epidemic to the History Channel.…
Ella Castanier Writes about the Policies to Combat Future Pandemics that GU Professors Recommend for The Hoya
September 30th, 2020
Ella Castanier (COL’24) presents the recommendations for pandemic preparedness provided by Georgetown professors at the Center for Global Health Science and Security Alexandra Phelan and Rebecca Katz in “Governance Preparedness: Initial Lessons from COVID-19”.…
Climate History Podcast, Episode 16: “Pandemics and Climate Change: What History Tells Us About Today’s Greatest Challenges” with Timothy Newfield
August 25th, 2020
Timothy Newfield talks with co-hosts Dagomar Degroot and Emma Moesswilde about what led him to the History and Biology departments at Georgetown University, and about his work in the thriving field of historical epidemiology.…
“How an Iowa Summer Resort Region Became a COVID-19 Hot Spot”, Emily Mendenhall Writes about her Research in Vox
August 8th, 2020
Drawing on her research about the COVID-19 response in the Iowa Great Lakes region, Emily Mendenhall writes about the high number of cases and people’s reluctance to wear masks, showing how the deep conflicts around the coronavirus in the region reflect broader friction across the country.…
Estudos Medievais Podcast, Mundus Series Episode 1: “Plague and Climate Change” with Timothy Newfield
August 3rd, 2020
Timothy Newfield talks with Isabela Alves Silva about the Justinianic Plague and climate change in the beginning of the Middle Ages.…
The Hoya Covers the “Health Inequities in Time of Covid” Course, as Part of the New Course Offerings Focused on Racial Injustice
July 22nd, 2020
The Hoya presents the Health Inequities in Time of Covid course, taught by Theodora Danylevich and Carol Day, which investigates the systemic reasons behind COVID-19’s disproportionate impact on communities of color in the United States.…
“America Should Prepare for a Double Pandemic”, The Atlantic Explores Emily Mendenhall’s Research
July 15th, 2020
On its coverage of America’s need to prepare for new disease outbreaks, The Atlantic highlights Emily Mendenhall’s research about syndemics and the influence that every aspect of society has on public health.…
The Georgetown University School of Nursing & Health Studies Presents Report, Co-Authored by Dr. Christopher King, on Health Disparities in the Black Community
June 2nd, 2020
The Georgetown University School of Nursing & Health Studies presents the Health Disparities in the Black Community: An Imperative for Racial Equity in the District of Columbia, co-authored by Dr. Christopher King. This report illuminates entrenched health and socioeconomic disparities that help explain why approximately three quarters of the deaths associated with COVID-19 in Washington DC have been among the African American community.…
The Health Disparities Podcast: Both Pandemic and Syndemic – How Clusters of Preexisting Comorbid Conditions Have Driven Up Fatalities, featuring Emily Mendenhall and Robert Like
May 22nd, 2020
Emily Mendenhall and Robert Like discuss the syndemic concept with host Mary O’Connor, to explain why certain populations are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, and offer insights into potential solutions.…
“Covering COVID-19? Perhaps Leave the Black Death and Great Influenza Out of It”, Timothy Newfield Writes on the Georgetown Environmental History Blog
May 13th, 2020
In this piece, published on the Georgetown Environmental History blog, Timothy Newfield argues against the trend to compare COVID-19 with other pandemics in history.…
The Convergence Podcast, Episode 9: “COVID-19 and the Future of Bio-Security” with James Giordano
April 30th, 2020
James Giordano talks about COVID-19, the effect of this pandemic on the Nation, its impact on national security, and the potential implications on future bio-security.…
Georgetown University Interviews Dr. Christopher King on the Challenges and Opportunities of COVID-19 for DC Black Communities
April 28th, 2020
Dr. Christopher King King explains the potentially devastating impact COVID-19 can have on black residents and shares efforts that are underway to mitigate loss.…
“Beyond 1918: Bringing Pandemic Response into the Present, and Future”, James Giordano, Diane DiEuliis, Peter Emanuel and Alexander Titus Write for the Institute for National Strategic Studies
April 27th, 2020
Dr. James Giordano, Diane DiEuliis, Peter Emanuel and Alexander Titus study the 1918 pandemic, and re-contextualize the issues, problems and solutions of the past in light of the circumstances, capabilities and complexities of the present, considering the technical tools that are currently available for pandemic response, information acquisition, and issues of governmental transparency and communication in the face of public fear.…
Timothy Newfield’s Opinion Piece: “Nothing Was the Same: Historical Parallels for the Coronavirus Should Be Avoided like the Plague”
April 26th, 2020
Timothy Newfield addresses historical parallels regarding pandemics. He argues that our instinct to look to the past for ways forward can be harmful when it comes to pandemics.…
“We Are All Living with Serious Illness Now”, Dr. Michael Pottash and Dr. Anita Hannig’s Reflections on Living with Serious Illness in the Pandemic
April 7th, 2020
Dr. Michael Pottash and Anita Hannig provide some insights, from working with patients living with serious illness, to think about what it means to face a global health crisis.…
“Don’t Compare Past Pandemics to the COVID-19 Crisis”, Georgetown University Interviews Timothy Newfield
April 1st, 2020
Georgetown University talked with Timothy Newfield about the differences between this pandemic and devastating flu of the early 1900s.…
“How to Reopen America”, James Giordano’s Expert Opinion on CNN
March 27th, 2020
To answer the urgent question of “How to reopen America”, CNN presents the expert opinions of Dr. James Giordano and Dr. Daniel M. Gerstein, suggesting “creative approaches to protecting those who are vulnerable, while keeping our society functioning and economy running”.…
The Hoya Covers the Development of the Medical Humanities Major
November 8th, 2019
The Hoya introduces the future Medical Humanities major, expected to possibly launch in coming years, mentioning the Spring 2020 courses, and Dr. Lakshmi Krishnan and Dr. Daniel Marchalik’s vision for the Medical Humanities at Georgetown University.…
The Hoya Covers How Students and Professors Are Pushing for Better Accessibility for Invisible Disabilities
October 25th, 2019
The Hoya explores the barriers that exist for students with invisible disabilities in Georgetown, presenting insights from students from the Georgetown Disability Alliance and professors from the Disability Studies Program, including Sylvia Önder, on how to address them.…
The Hoya Writes about the Georgetown Disability Alliance and the Work to Address the Needs of Members of the Community with Diverse Abilities
September 19th, 2019
On its covering of the of the development of the Georgetown Disability Alliance, the student organization founded to draw attention to issues affecting students with disabilities on campus, The Hoya talked with Sylvia Önder about the work that Georgetown and the Disabilities Studies Program to bring more awareness and address the needs of members of the Georgetown community living with disabilities.…
BBC Radio 4 – Bookclub: Aminatta Forna – The Memory of Love
September 5th, 2019
Aminatta Forna discusses her novel The Memory of Love with James Naughtie and a group of readers at the BBC Radio – 4 Bookclub podcast. The Memory of Love has as its background three decades of unrest and violence in Sierra Leone, Aminatta Forna’s father’s home country and the one where she mostly grew up.…
“The Arts Through the Lens of Health Care at Georgetown Lombardi”, Lombardi Stories Features Julia Langley
August 16th, 2019
This Lombardi Story talks about how the Arts and Humanities Program, directed by Julia Langley, has impacted the care provided to the patients of the MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.…
Emily Mendenhall on Why We Need to Rethink Diabetes
July 18th, 2019
Emily Mendenhall challenges the idea that diabetes is a “lifestyle disease”, which views individuals as solely responsible for diabetes. Mendenhall argues that diabetes is a product of society, of both global and local factors.…
Dr. Christopher King Appointed to Serve on the DC Commission on Health Equity
July 16th, 2019
On July 9, 2019, the DC Council voted to approve the appointment of Dr. Christopher King to serve on the DC Commission on Health Equity.…
The Georgetown University Medical Center Writes About the Georgetown Lombardi’s Poetry Café
June 14th, 2019
The Georgetown University Medical Center describes the fourth annual Poetry Café that took place at the MedStar Georgetown University Hospital on June 6, 2019. This event is part of the Arts & Humanities Program, directed by Julia Langley.…
“Comfort Care, Whatever Does That Mean?”, Dr. Michael Pottash’s Article Review on Pallimed
May 4th, 2019
Dr. Michael Pottash argues that any term to describe dying care will always be problematic, and, thus, we should get rid of it altogether.…
The Georgetown University Medical Center Talks about the Movement for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Program
January 4th, 2019
The Georgetown University Medical Center highlights the Movement for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Program, created by Julia Langley, Carlo Tornatore and Erika Mitchell as a music and movement based course that can benefit for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).…
Ethicslab Podcast: Psychiatric Disability and Life Threatening Non-Adherence, featuring Dr. Carol Taylor, Dr. Michael Pottash, Dr. Laura Guidry-Grimes and Dr. Sarah Kleinfeld
December 27th, 2018
In the Ethicslab podcast, Dr. Carol Taylor, Dr. Michael Pottash, Dr. Laura Guidry-Grimes and Dr. Sarah Kleinfeld reflect on the stories of patients with psychiatric disability, who face end-of-life situations after prolonged non-adherence to a medical treatment plan. The guests offer their ethical reflections on the challenges, naming the components of complexity, and what is important for ethics committee members to pay attention to in patient stories like these.…
“Advance Directive-ish”, Dr. Michael Pottash Writes on the Better Healthcare Blog
October 27th, 2018
Dr. Michael Pottash writes about problems with advance directives, and provides specific guidelines for doctors, patients and families to take into account, for them to be useful.…
Global Podcast: The Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics
September 4th, 2018
In the Global Podcast, the Global Communications Group explores the relationship between the arts and international relations through the work of The Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics (The Lab).…
“The Power of your Suffering Is in How You Tell your Story”, Aminatta Forna in PBS NewsHour’s My Humble Opinion
March 19th, 2018
Aminatta Forna spoke about trauma in the “In My Humble Opinion” segment of PBS NewsHour. She responds to what she considers an overuse of the word “trauma”, stressing, instead, people’s ability to shape their own narratives”.…
Natascha de Vasconcellos Otoya Interviewed Professor John McNeill
November 29th, 2017
Natascha De Vasconcellos Otoya, History PhD student and one of our 2021-2022 Research Fellowships recipients, interviewed Professor John McNeill about his work on global environmental history, the trajectory of the field, and the practical challenges of writing history on a global scale.…
“Selective Empathy: Stories and the Power of Narrative”, Aminatta Forna on World Literature Today
November 6th, 2017
Aminatta Forna reflects on the power of storytelling, and how it both allows us to understand the worlds of other people, while also reflecting “entire range of views, assumptions, readings and misreadings” about those viewed as “other”.…
“Literature’s Lessons for Medical Students”, Daniel Marchalik’s Reflections on the MedStar Health Blog
September 18th, 2017
Drawing from his trajectory studying both medicine and literature, Dr. Daniel Marchalik reflects about the value of applying literature to the medical field in this post on the MedStar Health Blog.…
“The Future of Genetics—How Far Is Too Far?”, Claire McDaniel and Daniel Marchalik’s Entry on The Doctor’s Book Club
August 10th, 2017
In this entry on The Doctor’s Book Club, Dr. Daniel Marchalik and Claire McDaniel explore Siddhartha Mukherjee’s The Gene: An Intimate History, which traces the long history of genetics and our understanding of evolution, from the ancient Greek scientists to today’s high-tech university labs.…
“The Other Side of Research in The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks”, Claire McDaniel and Daniel Marchalik’s Entry on The Doctor’s Book Club
July 3rd, 2017
In this entry on The Doctor’s Book Club, Dr. Daniel Marchalik and Claire McDaniel delve into the history and evolution of bioethics, and its impact on the individuals involved in Rebecca Skloot’s 2010 award winning non-fiction book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.…
Dr. Michael Pottash Writes about Clinicians’ Word Choices on the Better Healthcare Blog
April 22nd, 2017
Dr. Michael Pottash writes about the use of nonspecific words amongst clinicians when communicating prognosis to patients, families and other medical providers, and suggests that it would be clearer if healthcare professionals simply used explicit time frames in documentation and in consultation with patients when attempting to convey a prognosis.…
Neuroscience, its Applications and Implications, Dr. Nigel Cameron Interviews Dr. James Giordano for the Center for Policy on Emerging Technologies
February 23rd, 2017
Dr. Nigel Cameron, President and CEO of the Center for Policy on Emerging Technologies, interviewed Dr. James Giordano on his work in neuroscience, from basic research, to ethics, to defense applications; the public interest in the implications of this research, and the multi-national character of the projects he is part of.…
“We Doctors See Death all around Us, But We Don’t Like to Think about Our Own”, Daniel Marchalik Writes on The Washington Post
August 15th, 2016
In this piece published on The Washington Post, Dr. Daniel Marchalik writes about how Paul Kalanithi’s memoir, “When Breath Becomes Air”, confronted him and his friends from medical school with the fear of their own death.…
“Gender Dysphoria Is Killing Transgender Teens. Why Aren’t We Talking About It?”, Daniel Marchalik Explores on Slate
May 19th, 2016
Dr. Daniel Marchalik addresses the alarming high rates of transgender individuals who have attempted suicide.…
“Yes, Your Doctor Really Needs to Ask About Your Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity”, Daniel Marchalik Explains on Slate
February 29th, 2016
Dr. Daniel Marchalik explains why the mandate requiring that all electronic health records include specific fields about gender identity and sexual orientation can help healthcare professionals better tailor medical care to their individual risk factors.…
“Teaching LGBT Issues in the New Era of Medical Education”, Daniel Marchalik Describes His Experience on Slate
February 5th, 2016
In response to the need to better educate medical students on LGBT-related topics, Dr. Daniel Marchalik describes his experience teaching LGBT issues, as part of the Human Sexuality module, to second-year medical students.…
Ottoman History Podcast: Health and Home in a Turkish Village with Sylvia Wing Önder
November 16th, 2015
Sylvia Önder talks with Chris Gratien and Seçil Yılmaz about her monograph “We Have No Microbes Here”, looking at continuities in the centrality of households and women in making decisions about medical care within a Black Sea village.…
