UofT Health Humanities Student Society

28/03/2022

Students taking a neuroanatomy course as part of University of Toronto Mississauga's biomedical communications program were challenged to draw both an accurate representation of the brain – & themselves. 🧠 uoft.me/7Jr

16/03/2022

04/02/2022

The Centre for Global Disability Studies () and the UofT Health Humanities Student Society () are very excited in welcoming ReelAbilitiesTO for a workshop in disability in filmmaking! This will be a 2-hour virtual workshop on the topic(s) of disability storytelling and documentary technique, led by Ophira Calof and Michelle Asgarali, on February 8, 2022 from 3-5 PM EST.

Live captioning and ASL will be provided.

Please register for the event at: https://forms.gle/GSw7qM5BqFdu79dj6

27/01/2022

Shelley Brownlee, who's been diagnosed with a form of abdomen cancer, has been waiting months to undergo surgery at a hospital in Toronto. Her doctor said he had hoped to proceed with it next month but the Ontario government's pause on all non-urgent surgeries and procedures amid soaring COVID-19 ca...

14/12/2021

What can the face reveal and conceal about pain?

In short – a lot. But not everyone’s pain is easily recognizable. And in healthcare, misinterpreting pain can come with serious consequences. bit.ly/3pPkvBi

22/11/2021

Hello UofT students! Are you interested in taking an exciting health humanities course next semester? There is still room in HLTD56 - Workshop in Documentary and Memoir. Students will also have an opportunity to work on a faculty-led documentary project.

Students who have a sufficient background in health humanities but do not have all the prerequisites for this course, may contact the course instructor (Dr. Cassandra Hartblay), in order to discuss obtaining enrolment.

12/11/2021

Yayoi Kusama is a Japanese artist famous for her installation pieces like infinity Mirrored Room that have been shown in renowned galleries around the world. Her work which is immensely popular, is heavily influenced by her mental illness. Kusama has experienced both auditory and visual hallucinations her entire life and has drawn heavily from that experience as well as the experiences of being an outsider in the art world (both because of her s*x and race) in her work. She is 92 years old and has been living in a mental health insertion in Japan since 1977. Kusama’s work and her story dealing with her mental health highlight the importance of mental health resources and inclusion within the art world, they tell the story of being alienated from a larger community due to one’s experiences and health.

09/11/2021

Title: This is Happy (2018)
Medium: Watercolour on Paper
Artist: Vivian Gu

Art can be a great tool to aid in the understanding of illness. As well, it can make the relationship between health and disease clear. Art allows the subjective experience of disease and illness to been seen through the lens of the individual viewing it. The art piece above displays the individual experience of miscarriage and postpartum depression. The woman feels as if she is drowning, her senses becoming muffled. The feeling of drowning is similar to that of the feeling of depression, thereby serving as a metaphor.

“The guilt associated with not meeting “mothering expectations,” depicted by the mother clutching her baby close despite her situation and surroundings. The palpable space of absent-yet-expected happiness left by postpartum depression, depicted by the negative space of the baby.”

27/10/2021

Artist Name: Francisco Goya​
Name of Art Piece: Seated Giant​
​
Fransico Goya (1746-1828), an official painter for the Spanish crown, began his career by drawing cartoons for the King's tapestry factory. In addition to this he would recreate art pieces from almost a century before his time, incorporating his own strange and perplexing twist to the original. ​ Although Goya's earlier work could be seen as Joyous and relating to the "normal", his later pieces would shed light on mental illness and the ineliminable sadness that one feels when left to their lonely.​
​
In the late 1700s, Goya would suffer from an undiagnosed illness which catapulted him into a severe depression. ​ He would spend the later years of his life fully isolated and painting for no one, but himself; and it was believed the these "dark" paintings were never supposed to be seen by the public. ​ The Seated Giant is a visual representation of depression and the loneliness one feels when in this state. ​ Through the use of a dark color palette and confounding imagery, an individual gets an interpersonal view of Goya's mind. ​ ​
​
Source for the picture: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/334002

12/10/2021

When Jina Lee’s daughter was diagnosed with autism, she feared Mimi might be excluded. Instead, she’s learned to unravel her own ableism by watching her daughters interact.

01/10/2021

Hello UofT HHSS members! We have a very special event happening on Monday Oct 4th, 2021. UofT HHSS is very excited to be hosting an Admissions Information Session for the Biomedical Communications MSc program; a special program offered by the UofT Faculty of Medicine.

Please use the Zoom details below to access the event:

Topic: Admissions Session: Biomedical Communications
Time: Oct 4, 2021 02:00 PM America/Toronto
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https://utoronto.zoom.us/j/89020253324
Meeting ID: 890 2025 3324
Passcode: 196353
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We hope to see you there!

28/09/2021

COVID-19 has impacted and intensified a number of aspects in life, including personal trauma. The Artful Practices for Well-Being program focuses on taking that personal trauma and directing it into art, as art has the power to heal. One of the first projects within this program incorporated an audio playlist with collaborations from individuals within the healthcare field. This included a neuroscientist, therapist, psychiatrist and mindful instructors. The idea was that art can heal even if it’s not a direct substitute for medication or surgery. It still holds power over your experiences and interests.

The picture below for example, 10/27/69, is by Sam Gilliam. It represents centring your life into the colour around it. Having those colours be incorporated into your daily activities and having them resonate with you to feel its energy. The artwork was based off of the practices and principles of guided meditation.

Art helps individuals experience insight and can provide hope. It’s one of the reasons why doctors encourage pursuing creative practices, including art classes or museum visits. Art provides itself as an outlet and paves the way to trauma recovery.

link: https://www.moma.org/magazine/articles/629

23/07/2021

Mark the date! UofT HHSS is very excited to announce the second event which will be taking place in Fall 2021! Erin Gross from Sunnybrook, will be joining us for a presentation on the Creative Arts Therapy program offered at the hospital.

Zoom info:
Topic: Sunnybrook Hospital: Creative Arts Therapy
Time: Nov 15, 2021 01:00 PM America/Toronto

Join Zoom Meeting
https://utoronto.zoom.us/j/89844361062

Meeting ID: 898 4436 1062
Passcode: 859017
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Meeting ID: 898 4436 1062
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Find your local number: https://utoronto.zoom.us/u/k3q3nPTmj

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Meeting ID: 898 4436 1062
Passcode: 859017

Join by Skype for Business
https://utoronto.zoom.us/skype/89844361062

23/07/2021

Mark the date! UofT HHSS is very excited to announce the first event which will be taking place in Fall 2021! Dr. Jodie Jenkinson will be joining us for an Admissions Session and Q&A for the MSc in Biomedical Communications, offered by the Faculty of Medicine at UofT.

"The Master of Science in Biomedical Communication (MScBMC), unique in Canada, is one of 4 internationally accredited programs of its kind. Our graduate program combines theoretical and applied approaches to the profession of medical and scientific visualization."

Zoom info:
Topic: Admissions Session: Biomedical Communications
Time: Oct 4, 2021 02:00 PM America/Toronto

Join Zoom Meeting
https://utoronto.zoom.us/j/89020253324

Meeting ID: 890 2025 3324
Passcode: 196353
One tap mobile
+17866351003,,89020253324 #,,,,*196353 # US (Miami)
+19712471195,,89020253324 #,,,,*196353 # US (Portland)

Dial by your location
+1 786 635 1003 US (Miami)
+1 971 247 1195 US (Portland)
+1 206 337 9723 US (Seattle)
+1 213 338 8477 US (Los Angeles)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 267 831 0333 US (Philadelphia)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 470 250 9358 US (Atlanta)
+1 470 381 2552 US (Atlanta)
+1 602 753 0140 US (Phoenix)
+1 646 518 9805 US (New York)
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
+1 651 372 8299 US (Minnesota)
+1 669 219 2599 US (San Jose)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 720 928 9299 US (Denver)
Meeting ID: 890 2025 3324
Passcode: 196353
Find your local number: https://utoronto.zoom.us/u/kC84MyzF6

Join by SIP
89020253324@zoomcrc.com

Join by H.323
162.255.37.11 (US West)
162.255.36.11 (US East)
69.174.57.160 (Canada Toronto)
65.39.152.160 (Canada Vancouver)
Meeting ID: 890 2025 3324
Passcode: 196353

Join by Skype for Business
https://utoronto.zoom.us/skype/89020253324

23/07/2021

I've realized that my problem was never with my diagnosis — it was with the impossible-to-achieve norms I had set for myself, trying so hard to be normal in a social setting and just ending up even more lost than I was before.

22/07/2021

I don’t look like other teenagers because I have Treacher Collins Syndrome (TCS), explains Zack Hodge Takacs, 16, who communicates through his computer. He writes about what it's like to look and talk differently, especially during the pandemic.

15/07/2021

Hello UofT students! If you are interested in course offerings which will explore topics in health humanities, check out some of these courses being offered in the upcoming 2021-2022 academic school year! Also be sure to check out the Health Humanities Program on the UTSC Calendar for further information about course selection.

10/07/2021

We are hiring for the 2021-2022 academic year! The following positions are available:

Please fill out this Google form by the July 31st, 2021 deadline. https://forms.gle/kN62ewdXFjepACCS6

Questions can be directed to uoft.hhss@gmail.com