Stoneygate Centre for Empathic Healthcare
People
Core team
Professor Jeremy Howick
Centre Director and Professor of Empathic Healthcare
Learn more about Professor Jeremy Howick
Dr Andy Ward
Associate Professor of Medical Education and Honorary Senior Academic GP
Dr Rachel Winter
Associate Professor of Medical Education and Honorary Consultant in Psychiatry
Learn more about Dr Rachel Winter
Dr Amber Bennett-Weston
Research Associate
Learn more about Amber Bennett-Weston
Dr Leila Keshtkar
Research Associate
Learn more about Dr Leila Keshtkar
Dr Cleo White
Research Associate
Dr Raj Babla
Clinical Implementation Lead
Dr Jamanda Liddicott
Lecturer
Dr Felicity James
Associate Professor of Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century Literature
Learn more about Dr Felicity James
Catherine Eyres
Centre Manager
Ola Tomkowicz
Administrative Assistant
Centre Fellows
Dr Dinesh Palipana
Dr Dinesh Palipana
International empathy, disability and diversity expert.
Dr Daniel Slavin
Honorary Fellow
Student representatives
Alastair Howcroft
PhD student
Supervisors
Research
Alastair is exploring whether artificially intelligent (AI) care- and chat-bots can be as empathic as human practitioners and if they can provide the same benefits of empathic care that patients receive from humans. As AI technologies are increasingly used in healthcare, even sometimes replacing human interaction, it’s important to understand the extent to which they can show empathy and thus improve patient outcomes. Alastair’s PhD research looks at how AI interacts with patients and whether it can deliver the same level of empathic care that’s been shown to improve patient satisfaction and quality of life. Before starting this research, Alastair completed a BSc in Computer Science at the University of Nottingham.
Esther Kentish
PhD student
Supervisors
Biography
Esther Kentish holds a Bachelor of Arts (2017) in English Literature and Language with a minor in Philosophy from the University of Texas at Arlington, a Master of Science (2018) in Technical Communication from North Carolina State University, and a Master of Science (2020) in Medical Humanities from King's College London. Esther matriculated at the University of Oxford in 2020 and spent two years in the Faculty of English. Esther worked with patients in a hospital as a Mental Health Technician in the geriatric in North Carolina, United States, and is currently working in Britain on COVID-19 research. Her research focuses on scientific communication, medical humanities, poetry, life writing, autobiography, and biography. Authoring 6 books, one of which, The Emotional Healing Behind Words, is a poetic memoir featuring a critical, meta-data analysis of 47 poems written between 2009 and 2012. Esther is a member of the Royal Society of Literature and an Associate Member of the Royal Society of Medicine.
Research
TEDx speaker and published author, Esther Kentish, examines the interwoven parts and interactions between illness and narrative in projects that communicate the scientific aspects of medicine and illness through life-writing, patient narratives, and digital media. In addition, the publication of Esther's literary work promotes de-stigmatization of illnesses while investigating their origin and cause. Esther's study focuses on English literature and medicine, two specific subfields under Medical Humanities. Esther intends to use her research platform in medical humanities and literature to examine the impacts of mortality from diseases and illnesses, the realities of pandemics in both abstract and physical spaces, and its impact on both gender and race. Esther is enthusiastic about utilising qualitative tools such as metadata analysis and data visualisation as well as artistic tools (particularly performing arts such as spoken word poetry, music, and dance) to communicate statistical value and medical information regarding the aetiology and progression of disease. Esther is presenting her research on COVID-19, patient narratives, autobiographies, and biographies in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Japan.
Collaborators
Professor Elizabeth Anderson
Professor of Interprofessional Education and Patient Safety Lead
Terese Bird
Educational Designer, Leicester Medical School
Professor Flis Bishop
Professor of Health Psychology, University of Southampton
Jono Broad
Lived Experience Ambassador, NHS England
I have 30 years of experience working as a patient leader with a long-term condition helping to improve patient engagement, quality improvement and patient safety.
In my working life I am a matrix worker for NHS England working on personalised care, quality, safety as well as in primary care improvement.
I’ve had the privilege of working and knowing the NHS from bed to board. I’ve seen both the best and worst and I believe we can and should work toward a safe, reliable effective care system that supports both patient and staff in everything they do. I am committed to transforming the human experience of health and care for all.
Key to improvement in care is empathetic care. Working with the Stoneygate Centre for empathetic healthcare as a lived experience ambassador I want to see empathy at the centre of training for all staff.
Follow me on Twitter @QIPatient or connect with me on LinkedIn @jonobroad.
Dr Mohammadreza Hojat
Director of the Jefferson Longitudinal Study
Professor Stewart Mercer
Professor of Primary Care and Multimorbidity, The University of Edinburgh
Keith Nockels
Academic Librarian (Medicine and Healthcare)
Dr Barbara Powell
Consultant in Palliative Medicine and Senior Lecturer
An experienced Advanced Communication Skills Training course facilitator, who regularly delivers courses to senior health care professionals. Barbara has developed and delivers innovative teaching to medical students in their clinical years that focuses on patient-centred care in the context of managing serious disease such as cancer. Simulation and facilitated debrief promotes the value of empathy alongside managing clinical complexity.
Dr Gary Redfeather
Global Executive Positive Psychology Coach
Gary is a 30+ year clinician, researcher, educator, and global business strategist, weaving together a deep understanding of neuroscience and neuroplasticity, positive psychology, and mind-body practices, with strategic and future-based scenario planning, cross-cultural team management, subconscious bias, and post-traumatic growth.
Daniel Stendall
Deputy Head of Nursing Alliance and Professional Nurse Advocate, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
Daniel Stendall RN(A) is a Deputy Head of Nursing at the University Hospitals of Leicester. He has over 20 years nursing experience across a number of NHS organsisations and, as a qualified Emergency Nurse, he spent 12 years in the Princess Mary’s Royal Air Force Nursing Service. Undertaking his commission, he spent 3 years as a Leadership Instructor at the Royal Air Force College Cranwell. Educated to Master’s level, he is also a Professional Nurse Advocate and has a keen interest in leadership and empathy. After supporting our work with UHL last year, he is excited to continue to support the Stoneygate Centre working on a project with UHL Maternity Services.
College Marketing and Recruitment Manager
Head of the School of Healthcare
Deputy Medical Director, General Medical Council; Consultant Nephrologist, University Hospitals of Leicester; Honorary Professor, University of Leicester
Associate Director and Scientist in the Centre for Health Education Scholarship, and Professor and Director of Educational Research and Scholarship in the Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia
Executive Director of the Oxford Centre for Triple Value Healthcare, and a Director of the Optimal Ageing Programme; Advisor to Public Health England and Chair of the NHS Health and Social Care Digital Service
Professor of Bioethics and Medical Humanities in the School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley; Co-founder and Co-Director, Berkeley Group for the Ethics and Regulation of Innovative Technologies
Chair of the Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management; Board Member and Chair of the Clinical Executive of NHS Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland Integrated Care System; GP Principal-Partner in Leicestershire
Medical Director for Education Reform and Professional Development, Workforce Training and Education Directorate, NHS England; Honorary Professor, University of Leicester and Honorary Fellow, University of Nottingham