People

Supervisors

• Dr Claire Brock
• Professor Jeremy Howick

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.