Dr Amber Bennett-Weston

I completed my PhD at Leicester Medical School in 2023. This work explored partnerships for patients who are involved in professional healthcare education. Prior to this I completed a BSc in Psychology at the University of Chester, and an MSc in Health Psychology at the University of Nottingham. I now work as a Post-Doctoral Research Associate at the Stoneygate Centre for Empathic Healthcare, conducting research on the definition and measurement of therapeutic empathy, patient involvement in education and research, and medical student wellbeing.

• Howick, J., Bennett-Weston, A., Halpern, J., Browne, I., Burnett, D. and Hood, K., 2026. Novel approach to teaching empathic leadership using heuristics. BMJ Leader. https://doi.org/10.1136/leader-2025-001448.
• Winter, R., Liddicott, J., Delmonte, A., Dinnie, C., Bennett-Weston, A., Hamilton, M. and Howick, J., (2026). Patient Involvement to Promote Empathy in Preclinical Medical Students: Cross-Sectional Intervention Study. Journal of Participatory Medicine, 18, p.e88184. https://doi.org/10.2196/88184.
• Howick, J., Ward, A., Grantham, C. and Bennett‐Weston, A., (2026). Enhancing system empathy within a UK emergency department: a feasibility interprofessional priority setting exercise. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 32(2), p.e70394. https://doi.org/10.1111/jep.70394.
• Ward, A., Gilligan, C., Bennett-Weston, A. and Howick, J. (2025). The development, delivery, and evaluation of novel longitudinal empathy-focused communication skills training at a UK medical school. PEC Innovation, p.100436. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pecinn.2025.100436.
• Howick, J. and Bennett-Weston, A. (2025). Empathy-Based Healthcare Education: How to teach empathy. Beta Version. Leicester: Leicester Medical School. https://doi.org/10.25392/leicester.data.29301791.
• Howick, J., Slavin, D., Bennett‐Weston, A., Eyres, C., Ward, A., Keshtkar, L., Parkinson, S., Williams, C. and Solomon‐Taylor, J. (2025). A Transition Course to Reverse Empathy Decline in Medical Students. The Clinical Teacher, 22(4), p.e70138. https://doi.org/10.1111/tct.70138.
• Bennett-Weston, A., Harrell, C., Ward, A., Jones, M., and Howick, J. (2025). Co-producing an empathy-focused medical curriculum with patients, educators, and students. The Clinical Teacher, 22(3), p.e70100. https://doi.org/10.1111/tct.70100.
• Anderson, E., Maxwell, R., Coleman, T., Harrell, C., Mistry, N., and Bennett-Weston, A. (2025). Where is the patient and carer voice in interprofessional education? Reflections and perspectives. The Clinical Teacher, 22(4), p.e70115. https://doi.org/10.1111/tct.70115.
• Bennett-Weston, A. and Howick, J. (2025). Patient and Practitioner Perspectives on the Definition and Measurement of Therapeutic Empathy: Qualitative Study. Journal of Participatory Medicine, 17, p.e71610. https://doi.org/10.2196/71610.
• Keshtkar, L., Bennett-Weston, A., Khan, A.S., Mohan, S., Jones, M., Nockels, K., Gunn, S., Armstrong, N., Bostock, J. and Howick, J. (2025). Impacts of Communication Type and Quality on Patient Safety Incidents: A Systematic Review. Annals of Internal Medicine. https://doi.org/10.7326/ANNALS-24-02904.
• Spanyol, S., Leung, C., Bennett-Weston, A. and Simões-e-Silva, A.C., 2025. Autism spectrum disorder is an in-hospital mortality risk factor among patients with COVID-19: A retrospective cohort study. Research in Autism, 120. DOI:10.1016/j.reia.2025.202534.
• Howick, J., Bennett-Weston, A. 2025. An empathy definition at last: exposing the narcissism of small differences. British Journal of General Practice. DOI:10.3399/bjgp25x740613.
• Anderson, E.S., Bennett-Weston, A. and Ford, J.S. 2025. Where is the voice of lived experience in interprofessional education? A scoping review. Journal of Interprofessional Care. DOI:10.1080/13561820.2025.2452977.
• Bennett-Weston, A., Gay, S. and Anderson, E. S. 2025. Reflecting on the Spectrum of Involvement: How do we involve patients as partners in education? Medical Education. DOI:10.111/medu.15484.
• Bennett-Weston, A.*, Howick, J.,* Dudko, M. and Eva, K. 2024. Uncovering the components of therapeutic empathy through thematic analysis of existing definitions. Patient Education and Counselling. DOI:10.1016/i.pec.2024.108596.
  *Joint first author
• Bennett-Weston, A., Bostock, J. and Howick, J., 2024. The case for patient involvement in medical curriculum development. bmj, 386. DOI:10.1136?bmj-2024-080641. 
• Bennett-Weston, A., Gay, S. and Anderson, E. S. In press. Meaningful patient participation in healthcare education: A theoretically informed study exploring boundaries and identities. Academic Medicine. DOI:10.1097/ACM.0000000000005919.
• Howick, J., Bennett-Weston, A., Solomon, J., Nockels, K., Bostock, J. and Keshtkar, L., 2024. How does communication affect patient safety? Protocol for a systematic review and logic model. BMJ open, 14(5), p.e085312. DOI:10.1136/bmjopen-2024-085312.
• Bennett-Weston, A., Keshtkar, L., Jones, M., Sanders, C., Lewis, C., Nockels, K., Solomon, J. and Howick, J., 2024. Interventions to promote medical student well-being: an overview of systematic reviews. BMJ open, 14(5), p.e082910. DOI:10.1136/bmjopen-2023-082910.
• Bennett-Weston, A., Gay, S. and Anderson, E.S., 2023. A theoretical systematic review of patient involvement in health and social care education.  Advances in Health Sciences Education ,  28 (1), pp.279-304. DOI:10.1007/s10459-022-10137-3.
• Coleman, T., Bennett-Weston, A., Sy, M., Greaves, J. and Anderson, E.S., 2023. Service user and carer involvement in online interprofessional learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. British Journal of Midwifery, 31(2), pp.104-111. DOI:10.12968/bjom.2023.31.2.104.

I am currently supervising two PhD students exploring empathy training for international junior doctors and the influence of AI on empathy respectively, and one MSc student exploring patient involvement in curriculum development. I have experience supervising BSc Clinical Science students' final year projects. 

Association for the Study of Medical Education: Research Paper Award (2024)

• Shortlisted as a finalist.

UK Council for Clinical Communication in Medical Education 2026 (Leicester, UK):

• Invited keynote speaker: 'Meaningful patient patient partnerships in medical education.'

Patient’s Voice 2025: Where is the patient’s voice in health professional education 20 year’s on? (Vancouver, Canada):

• Oral presentation: ‘Meaningful patient involvement in health professions education: Exploring issues of boundary and identity.’

International Conference on Communication in Healthcare 2024 (Zaragoza, Spain):

• Oral presentation: "Uncovering the meaning of therapeutic empathy through thematic analysis of existing definitions." Co-authors Professor Jeremy Howick, Maya Dudko, and Professor Kevin Eva.
• Oral presentation: "Involving patients in biomedical science lectures to promote medical student empathy." Co-authors: Dr Rachel Winter and Dr Jamanda Liddicott.
• Symposium (chair): "Stakeholder engagement in healthcare communication research and education."
• Poster presentation: "Empathic healthcare – how can we change the system?" Co-authors: Dr Andy Ward and Professor Jeremy Howick.

Association for the Study of Medical Education Annual Scholarship Meeting 2024 (Warwick Medical School, UK):

• Oral presentation: "Uncovering the meaning of therapeutic empathy through thematic analysis of existing definitions." Co-authors Professor Jeremy Howick, Maya Dudko, and Professor Kevin Eva.
• Oral presentation: "Interventions to promote medical student wellbeing: An overview of systematic reviews." Co-authors: Dr Leila Keshtkar, Dr Chris Sanders, Max Jones, Clara Lewis, Keith Nockels, Dr Josie Solomon, and Professor Jeremy Howick.

ASME Annual Scholarship Meeting: Developing a Diverse Workforce July 2023 (Birmingham, UK): 

• Oral presentation: "A theoretical systematic review of patient involvement in health and social care education". Co-authors: Professor Simon Gay and Professor Liz Anderson. 
• Oral presentation: "Challenging the Spectrum of Involvement: Are equal partnerships the ultimate goal?" Co-authors: Professor Simon Gay and Professor Liz Anderson.
• e-Poster: "Cultivating inclusivity in healthcare education: Exploring the boundaries of meaningful patient involvement". Co-authors: Professor Simon Gay and Professor Liz Anderson.
• Workshop: "Co-production and patient involvement: How do we get it right? Co-presenter with Associate Professor Kate Owen and Professor Liz Anderson.

ASME Midlands Medical Education Conference, May 2023 (Aston Medical School, UK): Poster accepted: "Exploring partnerships for patients and carers in professional healthcare training". Co-authors: Professor Simon Gay and Professor Liz Anderson

ASME Midlands Medical Education Conference, April 2022 (Lincoln Medical School, UK): Workshop "Patients as faculty members - Sharing best practice". Co-presenter: Professor Liz Anderson

• 2020-2023: PhD, 'Exploring partnerships for patients and carers in professional healthcare training' - University of Leicester
• 2017-2018: MSc Health Psychology - University of Nottingham
• 2014-2017: BSc (Hons) Psychology - University of Chester