Health Humanities and Arts Research Collaborative

Join us for a special interactive workshop led by Dr. Belinda Fu ("theImprovDoc"), an international leader in medical improvisation and Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine. This session explores how improvisational theater principles can enhance essential clinical skills including empathy, communication, and teamwork. Dr. Fu will demonstrate how "medical improv" techniques address critical challenges in healthcare, from difficult patient conversations to interprofessional collaboration and clinician wellness.

Through dynamic, participatory exercises, attendees will learn how improvisation skills can be adapted to medical contexts to improve emotional intelligence, team dynamics, and cognitive flexibility. Dr. Fu brings her extensive background as both a family physician and performing artist to illuminate the evidence-based connections between improvisational skills and improved healthcare outcomes. 

Building on February's session, this follow-up presentation will take participants into the realities of implementing ethnographic research in healthcare and public health settings. Dr. Kathryn Rhine shares candid reflections on the challenges and adaptations required when theoretical research designs meet real-world conditions in northern Nigeria.

The session will explore the journey from field notes to finished products, discussing the transformation of research data into both a dissertation and a book. Participants will gain valuable insights into the practical aspects of conducting ethnographic research, including managing unexpected challenges, adapting methodologies, and navigating the writing process across different formats and audiences. No prior attendance required - all are welcome to join this standalone lunch and learn event.

This session traces the journey of an ethnographic research project examining the lives of HIV-infected women in Northern Nigeria. Dr. Kathryn Rhine will guide participants through the early stages of the project, “Positive Living and Antiretroviral Therapy: Marriage, Divorce and the Life Course of HIV-Infected Women in Northern Nigeria,” from its initial conception through the complex process of proposal development.

The presentation will offer a step-by-step look at crafting research questions, developing methodological approaches, writing grant and dissertation proposals, and preparing for fieldwork. This session is designed to provide practical insights for researchers interested in ethnographic approaches to health humanities, offering a transparent look at the process of transforming an idea into a funded research project.