World-class empathy experts receive top awards at international conference

Professor Jeremy Howick

Two of the world’s leading experts in empathic healthcare have been recognised for their exceptional contribution to the field at a ground-breaking international conference.

CBS News’ award-winning Chief Medical Correspondent Professor Jon LaPook, MD, and Professor Mohammadreza Hojat, of Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, were presented with Lifetime Achievement Awards at the Global Empathy in Healthcare Network Symposium in Leicester last month.

They have dedicated their lives to advancing empathic healthcare for the benefit of patients and healthcare professionals and shared their expertise at the symposium with more than 120 healthcare professionals, researchers and educators from nearly 20 different countries.

Global Empathy in Healthcare Network co-founder Professor Jeremy Howick, of the Stoneygate Centre for Empathic Healthcare based at the University of Leicester, presented the awards.

Professor Howick said: “Jon and Mohammadreza are inspirational figures who have worked tirelessly to promote a culture of empathy in medicine.

“Their work is so important because there is growing evidence that empathy in healthcare improves patient outcomes and helps healthcare professionals to cope with the pressures of fast-paced healthcare systems.

“We’re so grateful to them both for sharing their expertise with an audience of healthcare experts from around the world at our symposium and were honoured to present them with their awards which were richly deserved.”

In addition to his role with CBS News, Jon LaPook is Professor of Medicine at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, an internist and gastroenterologist at NYU Langone Health, and the Founder and President of the NYU Langone Empathy Project.

He said: “What a surprise and honour to receive such a meaningful award and kudos to the Stoneygate Centre for Empathic Healthcare for bringing together leaders from around the world to join forces in promoting empathy. 

“I am more optimistic than ever that together we can make a difference in a world aching for empathy, and I look forward to continued collaboration.”

Mohammadreza Hojat is Research Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior and Director of the Jefferson Longitudinal Study.

Professor Hojat has led the development of 10 psychometrically sound instruments for the assessment of medical education and patient outcomes and professional development. He has published more than 200 articles in peer reviewed journals and 13 book chapters on educational, psychological and social issues in general, and in medical education and patient care in particular. 

He said: “I was truly honoured to be recognised for my 25-plus years of research in clinical empathy, and for developing the Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE) which has been translated into 63 languages and used in over 90 countries. 

“I was pleased to learn that many international attendees of the symposium were themselves users of the JSE. 

“I hope my clinical empathy research, the JSE instrument, and the recent edition of my book ‘Clinical Empathy: the Heart of Patient Care’ continue to inspire a great number of international researchers to undertake clinical empathy research. 

“Their findings hopefully will help to enhance empathy in health professions’ students, and practitioners for the ultimate goal of improving clinical outcomes.”

The Global Empathy in Healthcare Network Symposium 2025 focussed on how healthcare professionals can use empathy to rehumanise healthcare in an era of technological advancements and remote interactions.

Last month the network was also shortlisted for the International Collaboration of the Year title in the Times Higher Education (THE) Awards 2025 which recognise excellence and innovation across the UK higher education sector. The winners will be announced in November.

For further information about the network, visit https://www.global-empathy-in-healthcare.com/