Sayantani DasGupta (Senior Lecturer in Narrative Medicine at Columbia University) joins us from New York City and reflects on how growing up in an activist family shaped her view of medicine as a tool for social justice. She discusses the resonances between her work as a paediatrician supporting children’s health, as an educator facilitating the intellectual and emotional growth of learners, and as an author nurturing the imagination of young readers. Together, these perspectives demonstrate how storytelling and representation can help people see themselves more fully in the world and in healthcare.

Trained in public health, Sayantani’s work focuses on narrative humility, medical education, racial justice and health, diaspora studies, and science fiction and health futurities. Her writing has appeared in journals such as The Lancet, JAMA, and The Journal of Pediatrics. She serves as an associate editor of Literature and Medicine. She is also a New York Times bestselling children’s author and co-author of The Principles and Practice of Narrative Medicine (Oxford UP, 2016).

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Photo Credit: Stephanie Berger