Number 4, Spring 2026

Welcome from the Director

Greetings, friends of Medical Humanities at Rice. I am delighted to share our latest newsletter with you. Read on to learn about some of the exciting events we’ve hosted over the past several months, including a research showcase, a panel on arts and health, an evening of creative writing, and a special ceremony for the inaugural Janice G. Doty Medical Humanities Future Leader Award. This newsletter also features interviews with undergraduate students, graduate fellows, and faculty that offer new perspectives on the interdisciplinary approaches to Medical Humanities that we pursue at Rice. One of the items we’re most excited about is the launch of the Center for Humanities-based Health AI Innovation, a collaboration with colleagues at Baylor College of Medicine’s Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy. We hope you will enjoy reading about our work.

Please be sure to subscribe to our mailing list here to ensure that you always find out about our upcoming events. We appreciate your support! If you are interested in making a gift to Medical Humanities, please consider donating online or contact Emily Stein at 713-348-3424, emily.m.stein@rice.edu.

Warmly,
Kirsten Ostherr, PhD, MPH
Gladys Louise Fox Professor of English and Creative Writing
Director, Medical Humanities program and Medical Humanities Research Institute

Special Thanks

We’re grateful to MHRI Media Strategy Fellow Hamza Saeed for gathering the stories and images and drafting the features for this issue. Hamza Saeed is a senior at Brown College majoring in Bioengineering. He is also pursuing a minor in Medical Humanities and intends to pursue a MD-PhD degree.

	Annesha Dey ’26 wins Inaugural Janice G. Doty Medical Humanities Future Leader Award MHRI is proud to announce Annesha Dey as the inaugural recipient of the Janice G. Doty Medical Humanities Future Leader Award. Read More Watch Video
	Launch of Joint Rice MHRI - Baylor College of Medicine Center with Focus on Patient Perspectives on Health AI MHRI is pleased to announce the establishment of the Center for Humanities-based Health AI Innovation (CHHAIN), jointly led with the Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy at Baylor College of Medicine. Read More
	MHRI Collaboration with the Moody’s Artists-in-Dialogue In November, the Medical Humanities Research Institute partnered with the Moody Center for the Arts to co-organize the Fall 2025 presentation of the Moody’s long-standing signature program, Artists-in-Dialogue. Read More
	Rice Medical Humanities Hosts Off Script: Stories from the Heart of Medicine Event The latest installment of Off Script: Stories from the Heart of Medicine took place at Rice’s Fondren Library on November 13 and brought together voices from across the Texas Medical Center to explore the complex, often tenuous dynamics surrounding the idea of “trust” in the clinical environment. Read More
	Continuing Studies Spring Course: “Responsible Artificial Intelligence” Rice University’s Susanne M. Glasscock School of Continuing Studies will be offering a course this Spring aimed at exploring how to engage with AI responsibly, confronting its risks while harnessing its potential for good. The deadline to apply for a scholarship is February 1. Read More
	MHRI Graduate Student Fellows Investigating Equity, Justice and Bias in Health Technologies Reflections from Nkili Cooper and Jie (Joy) Chen on the yearlong Sawyer Seminar series on “Reimagining Technologies of Care: Racial Health Equity and Data Justice.” Read More
	Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Sabia Abidi Redefines the Role of Engineering in the Clinic Dr. Sabia Abidi is an Assistant Teaching Professor of Bioengineering and a steering committee member of the Medical Humanities Research Institute. Read More
	Student Spotlight: Maya Harpavat ’26 Reflects on Her Nutrition Research in India This semester, we're featuring Maya Harpavat, a senior in the Rice Medical Humanities program. Maya was a recipient of the prestigious Center for Civic Leadership Wagoner Fellowship, which she used to travel to India to conduct medical humanities research on malnutrition and community health. Read More
	Medical Humanities Alumna Spotlight: Isabella Villarreal ’25 Pursues Law School to Shape Equitable Public Health Policy As Isabella Villarreal transitions into the next stage of her career development at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, we talked with her about her experience as part of the Medical Humanities Program. Read More
	Research Roundup: Dr. Samuel Reis-Dennis Asks and Answers Tough Questions at the Heart of Medicine Dr. Samuel Reis-Dennis is an Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy and in the Medical Humanities Program. His work bridges the worlds of theoretical philosophy and the clinical space, with a focus on normative ethics, moral psychology, and bioethics. Read More
	Research Roundup: Dr. Kirstin Matthews Discusses the Changing Landscape of Health Policy Dr. Kirstin R. W. Matthews is a Fellow in Science and Technology Policy at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and Director of the Baker Institute’s Science and Technology Policy Program. Her research focuses on the intersection of traditional biomedical research and public policy, addressing the ethical and regulatory challenges associated with emerging biotechnologies, including vaccines, stem cells, and genomic medicine. Read More
	In The News Medical Humanities featured in Rice News. Read More

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