Professor Jeremy Howick

Working with colleagues across the University of Leicester’s medical school, I lead an ambitious programme to develop and implement a novel medical curriculum grounded in empathy, so the NHS is provided with the most empathic, compassionate, and resilient junior doctors possible.

I assumed the role of Professor of Empathic Healthcare and founding Director of the Stoneygate Centre for Excellence in Empathic Healthcare on 1 June 2022. I have responsibility for leading strategy and outreach at the centre, establishing a board of highly respected international advisors, recruiting staff, and developing the research programme. 

Along with my team and our funders, our vision is for the centre to become a global hub, delivering high-quality evidence-based empathy teaching and training while attracting the best empathy researchers to visit and join the team.

Academic biography

I was born in Canada and educated in the US (Dartmouth College) and the UK (University of Oxford, and the London School of Economics where I received my PhD in 2008). I joined the University of Oxford in 2007, and currently maintain a part-time role there, where I have had several teaching and research roles including:

• Dissertation coordinator for the MSc in Evidence-Based Healthcare
• 2011 Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine Levels of Evidence Lead
• Fellow (Kellogg College)
• Impact Coordinator for the Research Excellence Framework (REF) at Oxford’s Faculty of Philosophy.

Between 2009 and 2011, I held a part-time role as Coordinator of the Intercalated BSc in Philosophy and Medicine at University College London, and I am currently the principal investigator of a Medical Research Council (MRC) grant based at Cardiff University. I have also held visiting professorships at the University of Buffalo (US), the University of Bologna (Italy), and McGill University (Canada).

I have over 150 peer-reviewed publications (current h-index 35) and have supervised more than 20 MSc students and 4 PhD students to completion.

Communication and outreach

I am the author of the best-selling health title, Doctor You (2017), which has been translated into seven languages. I contribute regularly to the national press, including The Guardian, HuffPost, and The Conversation. He also contributed to and appeared on a BBC Horizon programme about placebo effects.

At the University of Oxford, I was a leader in ensuring that research has an impact beyond the walls of academia, including through impact case studies for the Research Excellence Framework, influencing policy, and communicating with the public.

Follow me on Twitter: @jeremyhowick.

I have published over 150 peer-reviewed papers and three books that have been cited more than 8500 times. Throughout my career, I have developed an international reputation in three distinct areas of research, which have led me to lead the University of Leicester’s world-class research programme on evidence-based empathy teaching:

• Empathy: This includes influential research on the prevalence and effects of empathy. I have also gained external funding and won the British Medical Association Dawkins and Strutt award.
• Placebo effects: My work on placebos is culminating in an upcoming book (due for publication by Johns Hopkins University Press in 2023).
• Evidence-based medicine: This includes a book, The Philosophy of Evidence-Based Medicine (2011), which has come to define a new sub-discipline. Additionally, I have contributed to NIHR Health Technology Assessments and new standards for describing control treatments within trials.

An updated list of Professor Howick’s publications can be found on Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=v1fV-KEAAAAJ&hl=en

His ORCID is 0000-0003-0280-7206: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0280-7206

Books

1. Howick J (2022). Placebos, Nocebos. (under contract, manuscript submitted, forthcoming autumn, 2022, Johns Hopkins University Press).
2. Howick J (2017). Doctor You. London: Hodder & Stoughton. https://www.hodder.co.uk/Books/detail.page?isbn=9781473654235. Translated into 7 languages (Polish, Italian, Chinese, Romanian, French, Slovenian, Turkish), Number1 on Amazon (UK, US, Canada).
3. Heneghan CJ, Onakpoya I, Jones MA, Doshi P, Del Mar C, Hama R, Thompson MJ, Spencer EA, Mahtani KR, Nunan D, Howick J, Jefferson T (2016). Neuraminidase inhibitors for influenza: a systematic review and meta-analysis of regulatory and mortality data. Health Technology Assessment 20(42). ISSN 1366-5278 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK363109/
4. Howick J (2011). The Philosophy of Evidence-Based Medicine. Oxford: Blackwell/Wiley. eu.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-140519667X.html. Cited by 388; Translated into Korean.

Book Chapters

5. Howick J (2022—forthcoming). Too Much Medicine. In A. Broadbent (Ed.) Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Medicine. Oxford, UK.
6. Howick J (2017). The ethics of placebos in clinical practice. In A. Papanikitas, J. Spicer (Eds.), The Handbook of Clinical Ethics. Florida, US: CRC Press. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9781498783378/chapters/10.1201%2F9781315155487-4. Abingdon: Routledge. ISBN 9781785230905
7. Bowles SV, Millegan J, Berry KG, Bunt C, Gassaway JB, Pastel R… & Howick J. (2018). Use of Mindfulness and Acupuncture in the American Military. In S. Bowles & P. Bartone (Eds.), Handbook of Military Psychology: Clinical and Organizational Practice. New York, NY, US: Springer. ISBN 978-3-319-66192-6
8. Howick J (2017). Measuring placebo effects, in Solomon M, Simon J, and Kincaid H. (eds) The Routledge Companion to Contemporary Philosophy of Medicine. Routledge Publishing. https://www.routledge.com/The-Routledge-Companion-to-Philosophy-of-Medicine/Solomon-Simon-Kincaid/p/book/9781138846791. Abingdon: Routledge. ISBN 9780367360368.
9. Howick J. Justification of Evidence-Based Medicine Epistemology (2016). In Markum J (ed.) The Bloomsbury Companion to Contemporary Philosophy of Medicine. London: Bloomsbury. ISBN: 9781474233002.
10. Howick J, Mebius A. Randomized trials and observational studies: the current controversy (2015). In Schramme T, Edwards S (eds.) Handbook of the Philosophy of Medicine. DOI: 10.1177/0141076817732523. PMID: 28920755. Berlin: Springer. ISBN 978-94-017-8688-1.

Articles—Explicitly on empathy

11. Kang E, Gottesman R, Howick J, di Genova T (2022). Adding a Dose of Empathy to Healthcare: What Can Healthcare Systems Do? Journal for Evaluation in Clinical Practice (accepted for publication)
12. Lyness E, Vennik JL, Bishop FL, Misurya P, Howick J, Smith KA, Ratnapalan M, Hughes S, Dambha-Miller H, Bostock J, Morrison L, Mallen CD, Yardley L, Leydon G, Little P, Everitt H (2021). Exploring patient views of empathic optimistic communication for osteoarthritis in primary care: A qualitative interview study using vignettes. BJGP Open. 2021 Jun 30;5(3):BJGPO.2021.0014. doi: 10.3399/BJGPO.2021.0014. PMID: 33712500; PMCID: PMC8278506.
13. Winter R, Roberts NW, Howick J. (2021). Exploring students, professionals, and patients’ experiences of and attitude to empathy-focused training: A synthesis of qualitative research (protocol) https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/SGHM9
14. Howick J, Morley J, Floridi L (2021). An empathy imitation game: Empathy Turing test for care- and chat-bots. Minds & Machines 31, 457–461 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11023-021-09555-w
15. Smith KA, Vennik J, Morrison L, Hughes S, Steele M, Tiwari R, Bostock J, Howick J, Mallen C, Little P, Ratnapalan M, Lyness E, Misurya P, Leydon GM, Dambha-Miller H, Everitt HA and Bishop FL (2021). Harnessing placebo effects in primary care: Using the person-based approach to develop an online intervention to enhance practitioners' communication of clinical empathy and realistic optimism during consultations. Front. Pain Res. 2:721222. doi: 10.3389/fpain.2021.721222
16. Winter R, Issa E, Roberts N, Norman R, Howick J (2019). Assessing the effect of empathy-enhancing interventions in health education and training: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials BMJ Open 2020;10:e036471. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-036471
17. Winter R, Howick J, Roberts N. Assessing the effect of empathy-enhancing interventions in health education and training: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials (protocol). PROSPERO 2019 CRD42019126843 Available from: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42019126843
18. Howick J, Bizzari V, Dambha-Miller H (2018). Therapeutic empathy: What it is and what it isn’t. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 111(7) 233–236. https://doi.org/10.1177/0141076818781403
19. Howick J, Moscrop A, Mebius A, Lewith G, Bishop F, Little P, Mistiaen P, Roberts NW, Onakpoya I (2018). Effects of empathic and positive communication in healthcare consultations: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. Royal Society of Medicine; 111(7):240-252. DOI:10.1177/0141076818769477
20. Howick J, Ulyte A, Steinkopf L, Meissner K (2017). How empathic is your healthcare practitioner? A systematic review and meta-analysis of patient surveys. BMC Med Educ 17(1): 136. doi: 10.1186/s12909-017-0967-3.
21. Howick J, Mittoo S, Abel L, Halpern J, Mercer SW (2020). A price tag on clinical empathy? Factors influencing its cost-effectiveness. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 113(10):389-393.https://doi.org/10.1177/0141076820945272
22. Howick J, Rees S (2017). the Oxford Empathy Programme. Overthrowing barriers to empathy in healthcare: Empathy in the age of the internet (2017). Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. Published online. https://doi.org/10.1177/0141076817714443
23. Howick J, Ulyte A, Steinkopf L, Meissner K (2016). Measuring practitioner empathy with patient surveys: A systematic review and meta-analysis (protocol). PROSPERO record no. CRD42016037456.
24. Howick J, Fanshawe TR, Mebius A, Lewith G, Heneghan CJ, Bishop F, Little P, Mistiaen P, Roberts NW (2015). Effects of changing practitioner empathy and patient expectations in healthcare consultations. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Issue 11. Art. No.: CD011934. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD011934.
25. Hardman DI and Howick J (2019) The friendly relationship between therapeutic empathy and person-centred care. European Journal for Person Centred Healthcare, 7(2), 351–357. http://www.ejpch.org/ejpch/article/view/1689

Articles—Medicine

26. Howick J, Koletsi D, Ioannidis JPA, Madigan C, Pandis N, Loef M, Sauer S, Kleijnen J, Seehra J, Johnson T, Schmidt S (2022). Most healthcare interventions tested in Cochrane Reviews are not effective according to high quality evidence: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Clin Epi. April 18 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2022.04.017. PMID 35447356
27. Boussageon R, Howick J, Baron R, et al. How do they add up? The interaction between the placebo and treatment effect: a systematic review. Authorea Preprints; 2021. DOI: 10.22541/au.163320737.74598661/v1.
28. Riemsma R, Wijnen B, Grimm S, Harrison S, Howick J, Armstrong N, Witlox W, Otten T, Islam M, Misso K, Joore MA, Kleijnen J. Zanubrutinib for Waldenström’s macroglobulinaemia [ID1427]: a Single Technology Assessment. York: Kleijnen Systematic Reviews Ltd, 2021.
29. Howick J, Ramaekers B, Otten T, Ryczek E, Fayter D, Harrison S, Ahmadu C, Stirk L, Wolff R, Joore M, Kleijnen J. Roxadustat for the treatment of anaemia in chronic kidney disease [ID1483]: a Single Technology Assessment. York: Kleijnen Systematic Reviews Ltd, 2021.
30. Howick J, Al M, Armstrong N, Ahmadu C, Wetzelaer P, Posadski P, Penton H, Stirk L, Wolff R, Kleijnen J. Avacopan for treating anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody-associated vasculitis [ID1581]: a Single Technology Assessment. York: Kleijnen Systematic Reviews Ltd, 2022.
31. Howick J, Witlox W, Ahmadu C, Grimm S, Armstrong N, McDermott K, Otten T, Noake C, Wolff R Joore M, Kleijnen J. Oral azacitidine for maintenance treatment of acute myeloid leukaemia after induction therapy [ID3892]: a Single Technology Assessment. York: Kleijnen Systematic Reviews Ltd, 2022.
32. Howick J, Witlox W, McDermott K, Wijnen B, Danopoulos E, Otten T, Ahmadu C, Otten T, Duffy S, Perry M, Westwood M, Armstrong N, Wolff R, Joore M, Kleijnen J. Amivantamab for treating EGFR Exon 20 insertion-positive non-small-cell lung cancer after platinum-based chemotherapy (review of TA10729) [ID3836]: a Single Technology Assessment. York: Kleijnen Systematic Reviews Ltd, 2022.
33. Howick J, van Asselt T, Perry M, de Jong L, Ahmadu C, Postma M, McDermott K, Noake C, Armstrong N, Wolff R, Ramaekers B, Kleijnen J. Cannabidiol for treating seizures caused by tuberous sclerosis complex (review of NIHR 13/55/39) [ID1416]: a Single Technology Assessment. York: Kleijnen Systematic Reviews Ltd, 2022.
34. Howick J, Webster R, Knottnerus A. Do overly complex reporting guidelines remove the focus from good clinical trials? BMJ 374 n1793. 374. n1793. ISSN 0959-8138 https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n1793
35. Madigan CD, Fong M, Howick J, Kettle V, Rouse P, Hamilton L, Roberts N, Gomersall SR, Daley AJ. Effectiveness of interventions to maintain physical activity behavior (device-measured): Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Obes Rev. 2021 Oct; 22(10):e13304. doi: 10.1111/obr.13304. Epub 2021 Jun 15. PMID: 34129276.
36. Webster RK, Bishop F, Collins GS, Evers AWM, Hoffmann T, Knottnerus JA, Lamb SE, Macdonald H, Madigan C, Napadow V, Price A, Rees JL, Howick J. Measuring the success of blinding in placebo-controlled trials: Should we be so quick to dismiss it? J Clin Epidemiol. 2021 Jul;135:176-181. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2021.02.022. Epub 2021 Mar 1. PMID: 33662512.
37. Svobodova M, Hale R, Hood K, Gillies K, Bostock J, Bower P, Howick J. (2021, May 28). Developing core principles for sharing information about potential intervention benefits and harms in patient information leaflets using a modified Delphi survey. https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/upnf4
38. Evers AWM, Colloca L, Blease C, Gaab J, Jensen KB, Atlas LY, Beedie CJ, Benedetti F, Bingel U, Büchel C, Bussemaker J, Colagiuri B, Crum AJ, Finniss DG, Geers AL, Howick J, Klinger R, Meeuwis SH, Meissner K, Napadow V, Petrie KJ, Rief W, Smeets I, Wager TD, Wanigasekera V, Vase L, Kelley JM, Kirsch I; Consortium of Placebo Experts. What should clinicians tell patients about placebo and nocebo effects? Practical considerations based on expert consensus. Psychother Psychosom. 2021;90(1):49-56. doi: 10.1159/000510738. Epub 2020 Oct 19. PMID: 33075796.
39. Evers AWM, Colloca L, Blease C, Gaab J, Jensen KB, Atlas LY, Beedie CJ, Benedetti F, Bingel U, Büchel C, Bussemaker J, Colagiuri B, Crum AJ, Finniss DG, Geers AL, Howick J, Klinger R, Meeuwis SH, Meissner K, Napadow V, Petrie KJ, Rief W, Smeets I, Wager TD, Wanigasekera V, Vase L, Kelley JM, Kirsch I; On behalf of the Consortium of Placebo Experts. ‘Consensus on Placebo and Nocebo Effects Connects Science with Practice’ Reply to ‘Questioning the Consensus on Placebo and Nocebo Effects’. Psychother Psychosom. 2021;90(3):213-214. doi: 10.1159/000514435. Epub 2021 Feb 25. PMID: 33631769.
40. Micklitz K, Wong G, Howick J. Mindfulness-based programmes to reduce stress and enhance well-being at work: A realist review. BMJ Open. 2021 Mar 19;11(3):e043525. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-043525. Erratum in: BMJ Open. 2021 Apr 14;11(4):1. PMID: 33741667; PMCID: PMC7986896.
41. Tudor K, Brooks J, Howick J, and Aveyard P (2021). Tackling statin intolerance with N-of-1 trials in primary care (TaSINI): Testing the feasibility of a GP delivered behavioural intervention to increase statin adherence. International Journal of Behavioural Medicine, vol. 28, Suppl 1, p S40
42. Howick J, Koletsi D, Loef M, Walach H, Fleming F, Kleijnen J, Pandis N, Ioannidis J, Sauer S, Schmidt S. What proportion of healthcare interventions are effective according to high quality evidence? A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis of Cochrane Reviews. PROSPERO 2021 CRD42021240989 Available from: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021240989
43. Fordham B, Sugavanam T, Edwards K, Stallard P, Howard R, das Nair R, et al. The evidence for cognitive behavioural therapy in any condition, population or context: A meta-review of systematic reviews and panoramic meta-analysis. Psychological Medicine. Cambridge University Press; 2021;51(1):21–9. 
44. Mitsikostas DD, Blease C, Carlino E, Colloca L, Geers AL, Howick J, Evers AWM, Flaten MA, Kelley JM, Kirsch I, Klinger R, MaassenVanDenBrink A, Moerman DE, Sfikakis PP, Vase L, Wager TD, Benedetti F; European Headache Federation. European Headache Federation recommendations for placebo and nocebo terminology. J Headache Pain. 2020 Sep 25;21(1):117. doi: 10.1186/s10194-020-01178-3. PMID: 32977761; PMCID: PMC7519524.
45. Tudor K, Brooks J, Howick J, et al. Tackling statin intolerance with N-of-1 trials (TaSINI) in primary care: Protocol for a feasibility randomised trial to increase statin adherence. BMJ Open 2020;10:e033070. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-033070 
46. Howick J, Koletsi D, Pandis N, Fleming PS, Loef M, Walach H, Schmidt S, Ioannidis JPA. Has the quality of evidence for medical interventions improved? A meta-epidemiological study of Cochrane reviews. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology. Volume 126: 154-159. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2020.08.005
47. Howick J, Webster RK, Rees J, Turner R, Macdonald H, Price A, Evers WMA, Bishop FL, Collins GS, Bokelmann K, Hopewell S, Knottnerus A, Lamb S, Madigan C, Napadow V, Papanikitas A, Hoffmann T. TIDieR-placebo: A guide and checklist for reporting placebo and sham controls. PLOS Medicine. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003294.
48. Howick J, Kennedy SJ, Myerscough J, Mosley M, Madigan C. BBC Horizon placebo back pain study: A public trial of the effectiveness of placebos (2020). European Journal for Person Centered Healthcare. 7(4).
49. Howick J, Lyness E, Albury C, Smith KA, Dambha-Miller H, Ratnapalan M, Vennik J, Hughes S, Bostock J, Morrison L, Mallen C, Everitt H, Dean S, Levett-Jones T, Ivynian S, Little P, and Bishop FL (2020). Anatomy of positive messages in healthcare consultations: Component analysis of messages within 22 randomised trials. European Journal for Person Centered Healthcare 7(4).DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.5750/ejpch.v7i4.1788
50. Guerrina R, Borisch B, Callahan LF, Howick J, Reginster JY, Mobasheri A (2021). Health and gender inequalities of the COVID-19 pandemic: Adverse impacts on women's health, wealth and social welfare. Frontiers in Global Women's Health. 2021; 2(44).
51. Kirby N, Shepherd V, Howick J, Betteridge S, Hood K. Nocebo effects and participant information leaflets: Evaluating information provided on adverse effects in UK clinical trials. Trials. 2020 Jul 17;21(1):658. doi: 10.1186/s13063-020-04591-w. PMID: 32680561; PMCID: PMC7368797.
52. Howick J, Webster R, Kirby N, Hood K (2018). Rapid review of systematic reviews of nocebo effects reported by patients taking placebos in clinical trials. Trials 19:674. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-018-3042-4.
53. Howick J, Hoffmann T (2018). How placebos influence intervention effects: The importance of knowing what they really are. CMAJ 190(30):E908–E911. DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.171400.
54. Evers A, Colloca L, Blease C, … Howick J, et al (2018). Implications of placebo and nocebo effects for clinical practice: Expert consensus. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. Published online 12 June 2018. DOI: 10.1159/000490354. 
55. Gray M, Gray J, Howick J. (2017) Personalised healthcare and population healthcare. The Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. Royal Society of Medicine; 111(2) 51–56 DOI: 10.1177/0141076818769477
56. FordhamB,SugavanamT,HopewellS, Heming K, Howick J, Kirtley S, das Nair R, Hamer-Hunt J, Lamb S (2018). Effectiveness of cognitive-behavioural therapy: A protocol for an overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses BMJ Open2018;8:e025761.doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2018-025761
57. Colloca L, Howick J (2018). Placebos without deception: Outcomes, mechanisms, and ethics. International Review of Neurobiology. Published online 2018 Apr 4. DOI:  10.1016/bs.irn.2018.01.005. PMID: 29681327.
58. Batra S, Howick J (2017). Empirical evidence against placebo controls. Published online 10 August 2017. doi: 10.1136/medethics-2016-103970. PMID: 28794240
59. Petkovic G, Charlesworth JEG, Kelley J, Miller F, Roberts N, Howick J (2017). Effects of placebos without deception: A systematic review and meta-analysis (2017). Journal for Evidence Based Medicine. 27 April 2017 DOI: 10.1111/jebm.12251.
60. Howick J, Fanshawe T, Mebius A, Bishop F, Mistiaen P, van Osch M, van Dulmen S, Christelis N, Lewith G, Kaptchuk T (2017). Positive messages may reduce patient pain: A meta-analysis. European Journal of Integrative Medicine. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.eujim.2017.03.005
61. Banerjee K, Mathie RT, Costelloe C, Howick J (2017). Homeopathy for allergic rhinitis: A systematic review. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. DOI: 10.1089/acm.2016.0310.
62. Howick J, Bossuyt PM, Cals J (2016). Point of care testing in family practice: Common myths debunked. Family Practice, 1(3). doi:10.1093/fampra/cmw082.
63. Howick J (2016). Correction: Are treatments more effective than placebos? A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One 11(1), e0147354. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0147354
64. Howick J, Bohen BA, McCulloch P, Thompson M, Skinner SA (2016). Foundations for intraoperative monitoring. Clinical Neurophysiology 127(1): 81–90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinph.2015.05.033.
65. Turner PJ, Van Den Bruel A, Jones CHD, Plüddemann A, Heneghan C, Thompson MJ, Price CP, Howick J (2016). Point-of-care testing in UK primary care: A survey to establish clinical needs. Family Practice 33 (4), 388-394.doi:10.1093/fampra/cmw018.
66. Mistiaen P, van Osch M, van Vliet L, Howick J, Bishop F, Di Blasi Z, Bensing J, van Dulmen S (2015). The effect of patient-practitioner communication on pain: A systematic review. European Journal of PainMay20(5):675-88. doi: 10.1002/ejp.797. DOI:  10.1002/ejp.797.
67. Petkovic G, Charlesworth JEG, Kelley J, Miller F, Roberts N, Howick J. Effects of placebos without deception: Protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis (2015). BMJ Open. 5(11), e009428. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2015-009428
68. Beinortas T, Bauza K, Howick J, Nunan D, Mahtani KM (2015). The first centre for evidence-based medicine in Lithuania: An opportunity to change culture and improve clinical practice. Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine 8(2): 108-110. DOI: 10.1111/jebm.12156.
69. Bishop FL, Howick J, Heneghan C, Stevens S, Hobbs FDR, Lewith G (2014) Ethical dilemmas and scientific misunderstandings: Exploring general practitioners’ views on placebo effects. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 20(5), A20–A20. https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2014.5048.abstract.
70. Del Mar C, Doshi P, Hama R, Jones M, Jefferson T, Heneghan C, Onakpoya I, Howick J (2014). Neuraminidase inhibitors for influenza complications (2014). The Lancet 384(9950): 1260-1. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(14)61761-X. PMID: 25283565.
71. Jefferson T, Jones MA, Doshi P, Del Mar CB, Hama R, Thompson MJ, Spencer EA, Onakpoya IJ, Mahtani KR, Nunan D, Howick J, Heneghan CJ (2014). Neuraminidase inhibitors for preventing and treating influenza in healthy adults and children. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Issue 4. Art. No.: CD008965. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD008965.pub4.
72. Banerjee K, Costelloe C, Mathie RT, Howick, J (2014). Homeopathy for allergic rhinitis: Protocol for a systematic review. Systematic Reviews 3(59). DOI:10.1186/2046-4053-3-59
73. Nunan D, Heneghan C, Mahtani K, Howick J, Thompson M (2014). Presenting evidence of effectiveness of interventions and more: The evidence of effects page. British Journal of Health Informatics and Monitoring 1(2).
74. Hirst JA, Howick J*, Aronson JK, Roberts N, Perera R, et al. (2014) The need for randomization in animal trials: An overview of systematic reviews. PLoS ONE 9(6): e98856. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0098856. PMID: 24906117 *joint first author.
75. Howick J, Cals J, Jones C et al. (2014). Current and future use of point-of-care tests in primary care: An international survey in Australia, Belgium, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States. BMJ Open;4:e005611. DOI:10.1136/bmjopen-2014-005611.
76. Greenhalgh T, Howick J, Maskrey N. (2014) 循证医学正面临危机? 苏虹, 熊玮仪, 唐金陵, 英国医学杂志: 中文版 (BMJ), 16-23 [Translation of ‘Evidence-based Medicine: A movement in crisis?’]
77. Bishop FL, Howick J, Heneghan C, Stevens S, Hobbs FDR, Lewith G (2014). Placebo use in the UK: A qualitative study exploring GPs’ views on placebo effects in clinical practice. Family Practice 31(3): 357-63. DOI: 10.1093/fampra/cmu016. Epub 2014 Apr 15.
78. Jones B, Howick J*, Hopewell J, Liew S-M (2014). Response to ‘Position Statement’ on ethics, equipoise, and research on charged particle therapy. Journal of Medical Ethics 40(8): 576-7 DOI:10.1136/medethics-2014-102105. (*Howick is senior and corresponding author.)
79. Jones CHD, Howick J, Roberts NW, Price CP, Heneghan C, Plüddemann A, Thompson M (2013). Primary care clinicians’ attitudes towards point-of-care blood testing: A systematic review of qualitative studies. BMC Methodology 14(117).
80. Howick J, Friedemann C, Tsakok M, Watson R, Tsakok T, Thomas J, Perera R, Fleming S, Heneghan C (2013). Are treatments more effective than placebos? A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One 8(5). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0062599. PMID: 23690944
81. Howick J, Bishop FL, Heneghan C, Wolstenholme J, Stevens S, Hobbs R, Lewith G (2013). Placebo use in the United Kingdom: Results from a national survey of primary care practitioners. PLoS One 8(3).DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0058247. PMID: 23526969
82. Howick J, Goldet G (2013). Understanding GRADE: An introduction. Journal for Evidence-Based Medicine 6(1). 50–54.
83. Heneghan C, Howick J, O'Neill B, Gill PJ, Lasserson DS, Cohen D, Davis R, Ward A, Smith A, Jones G, et al. (2012). The evidence underpinning sports performance products: A systematic assessment. BMJ Open 2(4). DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2012-001702.
84. Heneghan C, Howick J, Gill P, O'Neill B, Lasserson D, Thake M, Thompson M (2012). Mythbusting sports and exercise products. BMJ 345:e4848
85. Heneghan C, Thompson M, Perera-Salazar R, Gill P, O'Neill B, Nunan D, Howick J, Lasserson D, Mahtani K (2012). Clarification from EFSA reply. BMJ 345.
86. Heneghan C, Thompson M, Perera-Salazar R, Gill P, O'Neill B, Nunan D, Howick J, Lasserson D, Mahtani K (2012). Authors' reply to Betts, Stokes, and Kleiner. BMJ 345:e5431. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.e5431
87. Howick J (2011). A call to arms for taking proxy placebos seriously. BMJ; 343:d4345. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.d4345
88. Durieux N, Pasleau F, Howick J. OCEBM Levels of Evidence Working Group (2012). The Oxford 2011 Levels of Evidence. Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine – Traduction francaise. 
89. Durieux N, Pasleau F, Howick J, Chalmers, et al. (2012). Explanation of the 2011 Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (OCEBM) Table of Evidence (Background Document) – Traduction francaise. Oxford, Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine.
90. Durieux N, Pasleau F, Howick J, Chalmers, et al. (2012). Introduction to the 2011 Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (OCEBM) Table of Evidence– Traduction francaise. Oxford, Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine.
91. Howick J, Glasziou P, Heneghan C, Chalmers I et al. OCEBM Levels of Evidence Working Group (2011). The Oxford 2011 Levels of Evidence. Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine. http://www.cebm.net/index.aspx?o=5653
92. Howick J, Chalmers, et al. (2011). Explanation of the 2011 Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (OCEBM) Table of Evidence (Background Document). Oxford, Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine.
93. Howick J, Chalmers, et al. (2011). Introduction to the 2011 Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (OCEBM) Table of Evidence. Oxford, Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine.
94. Golomb B, Erickson L, Sack S, Koperski S, Enkin M, Howick J (2010). What's in placebos: Who knows? Analysis of randomized, controlled trials. Annals of Internal Medicine 153(8):532–535. DOI: 10.7326/0003-4819-153-8-201010190-00010. PMID: 20956710
95. Cartwright N, Goldfinch A, Howick J (2010). Evidence-based policy: Where is our theory of evidence? Journal of Children’s Services 4(4): 6–14. https://doi.org/10.5042/jcs.2010.0017 .
96. Howick J, Glasziou P, Aronson J (2009). The evolution of evidence hierarchies: What can Bradford Hill's 'Guidelines for Causation' contribute? Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine 102(5): 186–194.DOI: 10.1258/jrsm.2009.090020. PMID: 19417051
97. Howick J (2009). Questioning the methodologic superiority of ‘Placebo’ over ‘Active’ controlled trials. American Journal of Bioethics 9(9):34–48. DOI: 10.1080/15265160903090041. PMID: 19998192
98. Howick J (2009). Reviewing the unsubstantiated claims for the methodological superiority of 'Placebo' over 'Active' controlled trials: Reply to open peer commentaries. American Journal of Bioethics 9(9): W5–W7.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15265160903149417.
99. Howick J et al. (2009). Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine Levels of Evidence. Available from: http://www. cebm.net/index.aspx.

Articles—Philosophy and interdisciplinary

101. Howick J, Zhao L, McKaig B, Rosa A, Campaner R, Oke J, Ho D (2021). Do medical schools teach medical humanities? Review of curricula in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. J Eval Clin Pract. 2021 Jun 8. doi: 10.1111/jep.13589. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34105226.
102. Howick J. (2020). Unethical informed consent caused by overlooking poorly measured nocebo effects. Journal of Medical Ethics. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/medethics-2019-105903
103. Howick J, Kelly P, Kelly M (2019). Establishing a causal link between social relationships and health using the Bradford Hill guidelines. SSM - Population Health, Volume 8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.39486
104. Howick J (2019). Exploring the asymmetrical relationship between the power of finance bias and evidence. Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, 62(1): 159–187. DOI:10.1353/pbm.2019.0009.
105. Uusitalo S, Howick J (2018). Philosophy of too much medicine conference report. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice. 24(5):1011–12. Doi:10.1111/jep.13000.
106. Bailey R, Howick J (2018). Did John Stuart Mill influence the design of controlled clinical trials? JLL Bulletin: Commentaries on the history of treatment evaluation (http://www.jameslindlibrary.org/articles/john-stuart-mill-influence-design-controlled-clinical-trials/)
107. Mebius A, Graham Kennedy A, Howick J (2016). Research gaps in the philosophy of evidence‐based medicine.  Philosophy Compass, Volume 11, Issue 11, Pages 757-771. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/phc3.12352/abstract
108. Boussageon R, Naudet F, Howick J, Falissard B (2016). L'efficacité thérapeutique. Entre medicine scientifique et medicine soignante. Presse Med 45: 700–704. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.lpm.2016.07.005.
109. Howick J. (2016) Aulus Cornelius Celsus and ‘empirical’ and ‘dogmatic’ medicine. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine 109(11): 426–430. https://doi.org/10.1177/0141076816672397.
110. Howick J. (2016) Aulus Cornelius Celsus and ‘empirical’ and ‘dogmatic’ medicine. JLL Bulletin: Commentaries on the history of treatment evaluation (http://www.jameslindlibrary.org/articles/aulus-cornelius-celsus-and-empirical-and-dogmatic-medicine/)
111. Howick J (2017). The relativity of placebos: Defending a modified version of Grünbaum’s scheme. Synthese 194(4):1363–1396. DOI 10.1007/s11229-015-1001-0
112. Maddocks M, Kerry R, Turner A, Howick J (2016). Problematic placebos in physical therapy trials. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice 22(4): 598–602. DOI: 10.1111/jep.12582.
113. Kelly MP, Heath I, Howick J, Greenhalgh T. (2015). The importance of values in evidence-based medicine (2015). BMC Medical Ethics 16:69 DOI: 10.1186/s12910-015-0063-3.
114. Howick J. (2015.) Strengthening Holt-Lunstad et al.’s conclusion about a causal relationship between social networks and health. PLoS Med. DOI: 10.1371/journal/pmen.1000316.
115. Howick J, Graham Kennedy A, Mebius A. (2015) Philosophy of evidence-based medicine. Oxford Bibliographies. www.oxfordbibliographies.com. DOI: 093/obo/9780195396577-0253
116. Howick J, Mebius A. (2014) In search of justification for the unpredictability paradox. Trials 15: 480. DOI: 10.1186/1745-6215-15-480.
117. Greenhalgh T, Howick J, Maskrey N. (2014) Evidence-based medicine: A movement in crisis? BMJ; 348:g3725. DOI: http://dx.DOI.org/10.1136/bmj.g3725. PMID: 24927763
118. Every-Palmer S, Howick J (2014). How evidence-based medicine is failing due to biased trials and selective publication. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice 20(6): 908–14. DOI:10.1111/jep.12147.
119. Howick J, Glasziou P, Aronson JK (2013). Problems with using mechanisms to solve the problem of extrapolation. Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics 34(4): 275–91. DOI: 10.1007/s11017-013-9266-0.
120. Howick J, Glasziou P, Aronson JK (2013). Can understanding mechanisms solve the problem of extrapolating from study to target populations (the problem of ‘external validity’)? Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine 106(3): 81–86. DOI: 10.1177/0141076813476498. PMID: 23481429
121. Howick J (2012). Saying things the "right" way: avoiding "nocebo" effects and providing full informed consent. Am J Bioeth 12(3):33–34 
122. Howick J (2012). Exposing the vanities – and a qualified defense – of mechanistic reasoning in health care decision making. Philosophy of Science, 78(5):926–940.
123. Howick J, Glasziou P, Aronson JK (2010). Evidence-based mechanistic reasoning. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. 103(11): 433–41. DOI: 10.1258/jrsm.2010.100146. PMID: 21037334.
124. Howick J. (2009). Placebo misery. Escaping from placebo prison. BMJ 338: b1898. doi: 10.1136/bmj.b1898.
125. Howick J (2009). If children understand drawing straws and flipping coins, research participants can understand randomization. American Journal of Bioethics 9(2): 19–20. doi:  10.1080/15265160802657775.
126. Howick J (2008). Philosophical issues in evidence-based medicine: Evaluating the epistemological role of double blinding and placebo controls. PhD thesis. London: London School of Economics. http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/2973/.
127. Howick J (2008). Double-blinding: The benefits and risks of being kept in the dark. In series: Contingency and Dissent in Science Technical Report 03/08. D. Fennell (ed). London: Contingency And Dissent in Science Project.
128. Fordham B,Sugavanam T,Edwards K,Hemming K,Howick J,Copsey B,et al.Cognitive behavioural therapy for a variety of conditions: an overview of systematic reviews and panoramic meta-analysis.Health Technol Assess2021;25(9)
129. Howick J, Bohen BA, McCulloch P, Thompson M, Skinner SA (2016). Foundations for intraoperative monitoring. Clinical Neurophysiology 127(1): 81–90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinph.2015.05.033.

Speeches and Blogs

Jeremy has delivered over 100 plenary lectures or invited talks.

Plenary lectures and invited talks

2021

16 December 2021. Why ethics committees are unethical for not taking nocebo effects seriously. European Forum for Good Clinical Practice. Virtual.

6 November 2021. Placebos are blockbuster drugs. 4^th International Mental HealthMeeting of Romão de Sousa Foundation. Virtual.

25 September 2021. The evidence-based for self-healing. Young President’s Association. Virtual

23 September 2021. Placebos are blockbuster drugs. World Federation of Chiropractic 16^th Biennial Conference. Virtual

10 September 2021. Developing and testing Participant Information Leaflets (PILs) that inform and do not cause harm (PrinciPILs). Medical Research Council. Virtual

2020

28 January 2020. Worshipful Society of Apothecaries John Locke Lecture. London, UK.

6 February 2020. Is empathic care cost effective? European Society for Person Centered Care. London, UK

2019

5 November 2019. Using empirical philosophy to rethink mechanisms in medicine. 

Bologna, Italy.

4 November, 2019. Why every healthcare consultation needs a dose of empathy. 

Royal Society of Medicine, London, UK.

7 June, 2019. Why every healthcare consultation needs a dose of empathy. 

University of Buffalo. Buffalo, NY.

5 June 2019. Why every healthcare consultation needs a dose of empathy.
McGill University Wendy MacDonald Visiting Professorship Lecture. Montreal, Canada

2 March 2019.How can we be positive and honest? London, UK

2018

6 December 2018.Why empathy is required for person-centred care which is required for evidence-based medicine. European Society for Person-Centred Care Conference. London, UK

7 December 2018.Mining methods for new treatment discovery: Mechanisms or observations? Bologna, Italy

26 November 2018. Reviewing the ethics and epistemology of placebos in light of recent evidence.

London School of Economics, UK.

24 October 2018.How to avoid harmful communication: The ethics and epistemology of nocebo effects in medicine. Ethox, University of Oxford. Oxford, UK

29 October 2018.Implementing the evidence that positive empathic communication for the nursing profession. University of Technology Sydney

15 October 2018.How to avoid harmful communication: the ethics and epistemology of nocebo effects in medicine. Delft, The Netherlands

13 October 2018. Using the power of placebos to enhance your health. Manchester, UK.

9 October 2018. Putting empathy into practice. All day Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Workshop at Royal Society of Medicine, London, UK

4 October 2018.Placebo effects: Evidence, ethics, and what you can do about it. 

Psychology in the Pub talk. The Yorkshire Grey,2 Theobalds Road, London

3 October 2018.Why every healthcare consultation needs a dose of empathy. 

Impact Hub, Kings Cross, London, UK

21 July 2018. Fixing the problems with Evidence-Based Medicine. University of 

Oxford.

3 June 2018. Decision-oriented evidence: Uncertainties and opportunities. Health Technology Assessment international Conference. Vancouver, Canada.

22 June 2018. Putting empathy into practice. Department of Psychiatry, University 

of Oxford.

21 July 2018. Fixing the problems with evidence-based medicine. University of 

Oxford.

17 May 2018 Placebos, empathy, and expectations: How these change your patients 

minds and bodies. Psychologists in the Pub, London UK.

21 May 2018 Introducing the hard science of self healing. Balens Continuing Professional Development Conference, Birmingham, UK

27 April 2018. Stanford Medicine X Pre-Conference Workshop: Mine your placebo potential, unleash empathy, and meet the power of Doctor You. A 1-day workshop facilitated by Dr. Jeremy Howick and Dr. Amy Price(University of Oxford).

28 April 2018. Stanford Medicine X Plenary. Why every healthcare consultation 

needs a dose of Empathy. Stanford Medicine X.

1 March 2018. Why every healthcare consultation needs a dose of empathy. Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, Oxford (https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/f25cef80-09c6-4800-bbdc-213776098691/)

13 March 2018 The ethics of placebo treatments. Health Psychology Seminars, King’s College London (https://www.kcl.ac.uk/ioppn/depts/psychology/research/ResearchGroupings/healthpsych/seminars/Seminars.aspx)

24 March 2018 How to use placebos to help patients. Continuing Professional Development course for manual and physical therapists (http://www.cpdo.net/prg/howick_placebos.php).

26 January 2018. Using empirical philosophy to evaluate the ethics of placebos in 

clinical practice. University of British Columbia, Canada.

26 January 2018. Why every healthcare consultation needs a dose of empathy. 

Grand rounds talk. University of British Columbia, Canada.

22 January 2018. Why every healthcare consultation needs a dose of empathy. Stanford Medicine X, USA.

22 January 2018. Why every healthcare consultation needs a dose of empathy. Stanford Medicine X, USA.

2017 and earlier

17 November 2017. Ethics, nocebos, and informed consent. Cardiff University https://twitter.com/CTRCardiffUni/status/927533008898453504

21 July 2017. Placebo is an ethically endorsed treatment and not deceitful Quackery. (Debate against Professor David Healy). Royal Society of Medicine. London, UK.

11 May 2017. The emerging discipline of empirical philosophy and why it is needed to inform evidence-based policy. Evidence-Based Policy: One-Day Workshop. Copenhagen, Denmark.

20 April 2017. The need for empirical philosophy: Evidence from three case-studies. Too Much Medicine. Oxford, UK.

13 April 2017. Why it is ethical to exploit placebo effects in clinical practice. Sherborne Science Café. Sherborne, UK.

3 April 2017. Using empirical research and philosophy to revolutionize placebo use in clinical practice. Society for International Placebo Studies Inaugural Conference. Leiden, The Netherlands.

25 October 2016. The emerging evidence for the benefits of empathetic care. Inaugural National Empathy Colloquium. Oxford, UK.

19 October 2016. Developing collaborative actions to support Uganda Ministry of Health to reduce child mortality. British Medical Association, London, UK.

8 September 2016. Royal College of Chiropractors Continuing Professional Development Event. The Difficulty in designing placebos for complex treatments like chiropractic, and why the mind/body separation doesn’t make sense.

21 June 2016 (London, UK). iWGC (I Want Great Care) Symposium 2016. How empathetic care improves patient outcomes, patient satisfaction, reduces medico-legal risk, and improves job satisfaction.

20 April 2016. Evidential support for the view that we need to think about mechanisms: Necessary or a search in the dark? Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy. Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. Munich, Germany.

20 January 2016. Exploring the epistemological role of mechanism in medical treatment discovery by evaluating the meta-research data. University of Oslo Science Studies Colloquium. Oslo, Norway.

20 May 2015. Why stories are important for teaching. Launch of the James Lind Library. Oxford, UK.

10 November 2015. Why it is ethical to prescribe placebos in clinical practice. Oxford Café Scientifique. Oxford, UK.

14 October 2015. Why it is ethical to prescribe placebos in clinical practice. Bath Science Café. Bath, UK.

13 May 2015. Mindfulness for leadership. Said Business School. Oxford, UK.

25 March 2015. Questioning the usefulness of basic science research for generating clinically useful treatments. McGill University, Montreal.

18 March 2015. Applying evidence-based medicine to cancer trials. Cancer Research UK. London, UK.

7 December 2015. Why placebos are better than amphetamines for boys who can't sit down in school. Ludwig-Maxmillians Universität München Institute of Medical Psychology, Munich, Germany.

28 February 2014. The need to define placebos to have rational policies about ethical placebo use in clinical trials and practice: Defending a modified version of Grünbam’s scheme. University of California, San Diego (UCSD). La Jolla, US.

7 February 2014. A justification for the 2011 Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine Levels of Evidence. European Urology Association (EUA). London, UK.

13 November 2014. Bias in animal studies. National Institutes for Health Research, Washington DC, USA

6-9 November 2014. What counts as a placebo is relative to a target disorder and therapeutic theory: Defending a modified version of Grünbaum's scheme. Philosophy of Science Association Biennial Meeting, Chicago, USA.

21 October 2014. Defending a definition of placebo controls. Harvard University Placebo Studies Programme. Boston, USA.

7 October 2013. Evidence according to the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine: Where it is going next. Danish Society for Obstetrics and Gynaecology (DSOG). Copenhagen, Denmark.

5 April 2013. Evidence-based medicine. (Inaugural lecture for the Lithuanian Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine). Vilnius, Lithuania.

6 May 2012. Evidence-based neurophysiological monitoring. (Presidential Address to the American Society of Neurophysiological Monitoring). Salt Lake City, Utah (USA).

31 January 2012. The importance of conceptualizing ‘placebos’ when attempting to empirically measure ‘placebo’ effects. King’s College London.

13 December 2011. Problems with using mechanisms to solve the problem of external validity: Reply to Cartwright”. Philosophy of Epidemiology Conference.

9 November 2011. Using mechanisms to solve the problem of applying average trial results. Zentrum Geschichte des Wissens, Zurich, Switzerland.

3 November 2011. Problems with using mechanisms to solve the problem of external validity: Reply to Cartwright. Philosophy of Medicine Roundtable. University of the Basque Country, Spain.

25 October 2011. Randomization and blinding in animal experiments: A call to arms for blinding mice. (poster presentation). Evidence Live 2011. London, United Kingdom.

15 April 2010. Placebo controls: problematic and misleading ‘baseline measure of effectiveness’. University of Bristol, United Kingdom.

12 February 2010. What evidence do experts provide? University College London, United Kingdom.

12 October 2009. Questioning the methodological superiority of ‘placebo’ over ‘active’ controlled trials. Cochrane Colloquium. Singapore.

10 September 2009. Defining a role for mechanistic reasoning in evidence-based medicine. Mechanisms and Causality in the Sciences. University of Kent, Canterbury, UK.

6-9 November 2008. Double-masking: The benefits and risks of being in the dark. Philosophy of Science Association Biennial Meeting, Pittsburgh, USA.

7 March 2008. Double-masking: The benefits and risks of being in the dark. Society for Academic Primary Care. Warwick Medical School, Warwick.

19-20 June 2006. Evidence from above: Allowing background knowledge and preventing prejudice. Contingency and Dissent Workshop. LSE.

29-31 May 2006. Placebo controls: Epistemic virtue or vice? International Conference of the Canadian Society for the History and Philosophy of Science. Toronto, Canada.

24 September 2009. What on Earth was medicine based on before evidence-based medicine? Descartes Centre, University of Utrecht, Netherlands.

2 June 2006. Placebo controls: Epistemic virtue or vice. International Conference on Philosophy, Athens Institute for Education and Research, Greece.

12 April 2006. (Given in Spanish) The assumption of additivity in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). First Annual Conference in the Philosophy of Medicine. Computense, Madrid, Spain.

18 November 2005. Placebo controls: Epistemic virtue or vice. Philosophy of Medicine Roundtable, University of Alabama, Birmingham, USA.

10 March 2005. The role of randomization: A response to John Worrall’s ‘Why Randomize?’ Experimental Philosophy Laboratory (EPL). University of California, San Diego, USA.

Selected Podcasts

17 December 2018. The importance of the history and philosophy of evidence-based healthcare.

17 December 2018. Doctor You: The hard science of self-healing.   

16 June 2014. What counts as a placebo is relative to a target disorder and therapeutic theory: Defending a modified version of Grünbaum’s scheme. (podcast). St. Cross, Oxford.

Blogs

From May 2019 to October 2020, Dr Howick had a monthly blog in Psychology Today. He also publishes regularly in TheConversation.

1. Howick J. (11 May 2020). Coronavirus: Scientists promoting chloroquine and remdesivir are acting like sports rivals. TheConversation. https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-scientists-promoting-chloroquine-and-remdesivir-are-acting-like-sports-rivals-138051.
2. Howick J, Ongaro G. (20 April 2020) Coronavirus: Could reading about the pandemic cause harm? TheConversation. https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-could-reading-about-the-pandemic-cause-harm-135585
3. Howick J. (17 February 2020). Clinical trials: How to make informed consent more ethical. TheConversation. https://theconversation.com/clinical-trials-how-to-make-informed-consent-more-ethical-131784
4. Howick J (September 2019). Pain, brains, and feeling your clothes. Psychology Today  https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/doctor-you/201909/pain-brains-and-feeling-your-clothes.
5. Howick J (September 2019). Can you think yourself thin? Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/doctor-you/201909/can-you-think-yourself-thin.
6. Howick J (May 2019). Empathy in healthcare is finally making a comeback. TheConversation. https://theconversation.com/empathy-in-healthcare-is-finally-making-a-comeback-113593
7. Howick J (May 2019). Using red monkeys to stop nocebo-ing ourselves. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/doctor-you/201907/using-red-monkeys-stop-nocebo-ing-ourselves.
8. Howick J (May 2019). It’s time for depression to make friends with the placebo. Psychology Today.https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/doctor-you/201907/its-time-depression-make-friends-the-placebo.
9. Howick J (October 2018). Where do I get those placebos I saw on TV? Connect (inaugural edition).
10. Howick J (21 November 2017). I ran my first marathon and saved the NHS £2000. Medium.com.
11. Howick J (16 October 2017). Can you teach an old dog new tricks? Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/jeremy-howick/old-dogs-new-tricks_b_18282576.html.
12. Howick J (10 May 2017). Placebos work even when patients know what they are. TheConversation. https://theconversation.com/placebos-work-even-when-patients-know-what-they-are-77074.
13. Howick J (31 Jan 2017). Size matters. Medium.
14. Howick J (31 October 2016). Truth about stop smoking drug ‘cytisine’ beats  conspiracies. Medium
15. Howick J (15 July 2016). What’s the truth about placebo effects? Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/jeremy-howick/placebo-effects_b_10906256.html.
16. Howick J (08 June 2016). Hero of Harlem beats Ayn Rand with altruism. Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/jeremy-howick/hero-of-harlem-beats-ayn-rand-with-altruism_b_10326490.html.
17. Howick J (24 May 2016). Why doing good can do you good. The Conversation.  https://theconversation.com/why-doing-good-can-do-you-good-59106.
18. Howick J (3 March 2015). It is never just in your mind (and exposing Descartes’ error). Available from: http://www.cebm.net/author/jeremyhowick/.
19. Howick J (9 July 2014). The double-edged sword of the evidence-based medicine renaissance. http://www.cebm.net/author/jeremyhowick/.
20. Howick J (8 April 2014). Ask big questions and think critically. Available from: http://www.cebm.net/author/jeremyhowick/.
21. Howick J (21 January 2014). Rethinking evidence-based medicine: From rubbish to real. Available from: http://www.cebm.net/author/jeremyhowick/.
22. Howick J (12 November 2013). Bias is good. Available from: http://www.cebm.net/author/jeremyhowick/.
23. Howick J (21 October 2013). A new generation of bias in EBM. Available from: http://www.cebm.net/author/jeremyhowick/.
24. Howick J (2011). The truth, the whole truth, and ‘nocebo’ effects. Trusttheevidence.net 28 December 2011. Available from: http://blogs.trusttheevidence.net/dr-placebo
25. Howick J (2011). Nothing is as good as Obecalp. Trusttheevidence.net 24 October 2011. Available from: http://blogs.trusttheevidence.net/dr-placebo
26. Howick J (2011). The Power of belief to reduce pain and alter arteries. Trusttheevidence.net 21 September 2011. Available from: http://blogs.trusttheevidence.net/dr-placebo
27. Howick J (2011). Can placebos cure asthma? It depends on your point of view. Trusttheevidence.net 11 August 2011. Available from: http://blogs.trusttheevidence.net/dr-placebo

Postgraduate supervision

I have supervised a number of postdocs, most of whom have been visitors to the Oxford Empathy Programme. These include Dr. Doug Hardman, Dr. Alexander Mebius, and Dr. Valeria Bizzari.

Ph.D Supervisions

I have supervised 5 Ph.D. candidates (3 to completion)

Masters and undergraduate supervisions

I have supervised 21 MSc students and over 30 undergraduates (two of which have won awards for best dissertation)

I am currently seeking to supervise students interested in empathy (any methods), please get in touch if you are interested and have funding.

I have always enjoyed teaching and have introduced a number of innovative courses, perhaps most notably a course called The History and Philosophy of Evidence-Based Healthcare, which is the only course of its kind. I have also received a number of teaching awards (see ‘Awards’).

Teaching medical professional and medical students

2015 –  Empathy in Practice (Continuing Professional Development course   given at the Royal Society of Medicine and via the University of Oxford)

2018 –  Placebos in Practice (Continuing Professional Development course given at Whittington Hospital to manual therapists)

2011–2019     History and Philosophy of Evidence-Based Healthcare (University of Oxford)

2015–2020     Philosophy of Science and Philosophy of Evidence-Based Medicine (Worshipful Society of Apothecaries)

Teaching empathy to foundation year medical students

Between 2017 and 2021, I have offered a 1-day intensive empathy training course to foundation year medical students at Leicester University.

Degree coordination

• Masters Dissertation and Pre-Dissertation Coordinator (MSc in Evidence-Based Healthcare, University of Oxford)
• Intercalated BSc in Philosophy and Medicine (University College London)

Post-graduate courses taught

• Ethics for Biosciences
• History and Philosophy of Evidence-Based Healthcare
• Introduction to Evidence-Based Healthcare

Undergraduate courses taught

• Introduction to Empathy
• Introduction to Critical Appraisal
• Philosophy of Science
• Introduction to Philosophy
• Revolutions in Medicine
• Observation and Discovery in Medicine

Gold Medal, The European Society for Person Centered Healthcare, 2020.

John Locke Award, The Worshipful Society for Apothecaries, 2020.

Waynflete Studies Biology Prize, September 2019 (won by my tutee).

Best presentation at British Psychological Society Psychogenesis conference, 2019.

National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Infrastructure Short Placement Award for Research Collaboration (SPARC) (with Doug Hardiman, University of Southampton), 2019.

Departmental Award for Excellence (awarded to members of the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences who have performed research, teaching and academic citizenship duties well above and beyond what is expected from someone at their level), 2017.

Best presentation at North American Primary Care Research Group ‘Pearls’, 2015.

Teaching Award for Innovative Use of Weblearn, University of Oxford, United Kingdom, 2013.

Teaching Award Winner for two consecutive years, London School of Economics, United Kingdom, 2006–2007.

Distinction, University of Oxford, United Kingdom, 1996.

Research in the press

His research is widely cited in the press (see Google News for latest).

Press

He has published feature articles in most UK dailies including The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Daily Mail. This includes:

• A list of media articles ensuing from PLOS ONE survey article
• Press reports on the article ‘What’s in Placebos: Who Knows?’
• July 2015. ‘What is the placebo effect?’ (Consultant for BBC Horizon programme on placebos)
• 14 April 2015. ‘What Evidence-Based Medicine Needs’. BMJ podcast
• 2 September 2014. ‘What to do if you need a second opinion from another doctor: considering the evidence’. BBC Radio Oxford. Oxford, United Kingdom.
• ‘Duck Quacks Don't Echo’

Television and radio: Designed and featured in BBC Horizon Documentary about placebos for back pain (record 1.7 million viewers), featured on The Doctors (US), National Public Radio.