An educator-practitioner at Columbia’s Narrative Medicine program, Cindy Smalletz brings the humanities to the bedside—cultivating trust, reflection, and practical “caring on” skills for clinicians, students, and communities.

What if the cure for loneliness isn’t medicine—but meaning? Dr. Jeremy Nobel, physician, public health expert, and poet, shares how creativity helps us find each other—and ourselves—again.

 Through empathy, storytelling, and presence, veterinarian Staci Goussev guides families through the most painful part of loving an animal: saying goodbye.

In this episode, we sit down with Tamela Aldridge, Executive Director of Only Make Believe (OMB) — a nonprofit bringing interactive theater to children in hospitals, care facilities, and special education programs.

Review this painting. Not just a quick glance but a thorough study of it. What do you think that the woman is thinking about? What emotions come to mind? What time of day?

In her touching poem Ode to My Hepatologist, Dr. Blei, Susan Zemelman shares her experience of care, loss, and gratitude for a doctor she will never forget.

Graphic medicine is changing how we tell stories about health. Meet the artists, physicians, and educators using illustration, animation, and visual storytelling to humanize healthcare, deepen empathy, and transform patient care.

In this new Mindworks in Conversation, Brendan Panke reflects on his path from environmental biology to teaching and storytelling inside prisons.