Conversation Starters: Humanities Speaker Series to Challenge Healthcare Norms

The Center for Health Humanities is inviting scholars from around the globe to share and discuss their work with MCPHS Community members.

From pharmaceutical advertising to anti-vaccination narratives, the Center for Health Humanities at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) is hosting a series of speaker events to spotlight the work of international humanities scholars and spark thought-provoking conversations about healthcare.

“One of the most gratifying parts of my job is to connect our students to elite scholars in health humanities,” said Dr. Dien Ho, Director of the Center for Health Humanities. “Students are inspired by the work of these scholars. Understanding how history, philosophy, ethics, the arts, and literature intersect with health and care makes for better medicine.”

Some of the featured speakers will be invited guests, while others will be Visiting Scholars with the Center for Health Humanities. These individuals come from around the world to work in residence at MCPHS for several weeks, advancing their research or scholarly work and presenting it to students, faculty, and staff. Here are the upcoming events:

Selling (False) Hope: A Critique of Direct-to-Consumer Pharmaceutical Advertising

In October, Dr. Christopher Bobier from Central Michigan University will explore how pharmaceutical advertisements, despite stringent regulations, may foster false hope among consumers by using images of restored health that overpower the fine print.

Who’s the Real Participant? Broadening the Scope of IRB Considerations

This November, Dr. Kate Saylor from Geisinger College of Health Sciences, in collaboration with MCPHS professors Dr. Kenneth Richman and Dr. Kathy Zaiken, will identify gaps in research ethics. The discussion will include how Institutional Review Boards have overlooked important participants, evidence of misidentified participants, and strategies to improve research processes.

The Narcotic Farm and the Shift in Addiction Treatment Research

In early December, Dr. Claire Clark from the University of Kentucky will examine the transition in the 1960s from institutionalized to community-based addiction treatment and its effect on research. The conversation will also explore how this historical event can inform bioethics education.

The series will continue into the spring, covering topics including religion and bioethics, palliative care and assisted death, graphic medicine, and more.

This year, MCPHS will also host the New England Graphic Medicine Summit to explore the intersection of healthcare and comics. The event will feature presentations, panels, workshops, and a half-day incubator designed to bring the graphic medicine community together and advance this field. The summit is a collaboration between MCPHS, Harvard Medical School, Simmons University, and Massachusetts College of Art and Design.