NBM Talks: Podcast from the Narrative-Based Medicine Lab

Sayantani DasGupta shares a creative work in progress that reflects on the difficulty of writing during uncertain times. The piece explores the fear, vulnerability, and responsibility that can accompany creative expression in moments of political and social instability.This reading is an excerpt from a longer piece that originally appeared on Literary Hub in February 2026 entitled "How Do We Keep Writing When They Are Killing Poets?" available here: https://lithub.com/how-do-we-keep-writing-when-they-are-killing-poets/Excerpted reading featured with permission from the author and Literary Hub.

In this episode, Sayantani DasGupta reflects on how growing up in an activist family shaped her view of medicine as a tool for social justice. She discusses the resonances between her work as a paediatrician supporting children's health, as an educator facilitating the intellectual and emotional growth of learners, and as an author nurturing the imagination of young readers. Together, these perspectives demonstrate how storytelling and representation can help people see themselves more fully in the world and in healthcare.About Our Guest:Sayantani DasGupta is a paediatrician and Senior Lecturer in Narrative Medicine at Columbia University. She is a faculty member in the Master’s Program in Narrative Medicine as well as the Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race and the Institute for Comparative Literature and Society.Trained in public health, Sayantani’s work focuses on narrative humility, medical education, racial justice and health, diaspora studies, and science fiction and health futurities. Her writing has appeared in journals such as The Lancet, JAMA, and The Journal of Pediatrics. She serves as an associate editor of Literature and Medicine. She is also a New York Times bestselling children’s author and co-author of The Principles and Practice of Narrative Medicine (Oxford UP, 2016).***Follow "NBM Talks" for future episodes, where we explore the transformative impact and reach of narrative-based medicine with talented guests. Visit the ⁠Narrative-Based Medicine Lab⁠ to learn about our work and offerings.

Patricia Houston reflects on lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic and the role of collaboration across multidisciplinary healthcare teams, including how shared responsibility, communication, and mutual support shaped patient care and strengthened resilience in the face of uncertainty.***Follow "NBM Talks" for future episodes, where we explore the transformative impact and reach of narrative-based medicine with talented guests. Visit the ⁠Narrative-Based Medicine Lab⁠ to learn about our work and offerings.

Patricia Houston (Vice Dean, Medical Education at the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine) is a longstanding leader in health professions education. In this wide-ranging conversation, she reflects on the extraordinary privilege that comes with caring for others as a health professional and the importance of understanding the full context and the people at the centre of the stories that we receive.Reflecting on her work as an anesthesiologist in Toronto during both the SARS outbreak and the COVID-19 pandemic, Patricia shares how these experiences shaped her collaborative approach to leadership and discusses her journey, values, and the ideas that have influenced how she leads and supports healthcare teams today.About Our Guest:Patricia Houston serves as Vice Dean, Medical Education at the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine where she offers strategic leadership to align learner supports and programs, faculty processes, and systems across the continuum of medical education. This portfolio includes undergraduate medical education (MD Program), residency and fellowship training (Postgraduate Medical Education), continuing professional development (CPD), as well as programs that train the next generation of physician scientists and physician assistants.A Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine at the University of Toronto and Former President of the Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society, Patricia is widely recognized for her contributions to collaborative healthcare leadership.***Follow "NBM Talks" for future episodes, where we explore the transformative impact and reach of narrative-based medicine with talented guests. Visit the ⁠Narrative-Based Medicine Lab⁠ to learn about our work and offerings.