Storytelling Research
Storytelling is a central part of the human experience
The STRIDE Study
STRIDE: Strengthening Translational Research in Diverse Enrollment
This collaborative study between UMass Medical School, Vanderbilt and the University of Alabama at Birmingham is developing innovative approaches to enhancing informed consent procedures with a goal of improving research literacy among under-served populations. This project is developing a multi-level informed consent platform that integrates e-consent with patient storytelling and simulations-based research assistant training. The intervention will be tested in the context of six ongoing clinical trials in a multiple time series design randomized trial.
UMass Worcester Investigators: Stephenie Lemon, PhD and Jeroan Allison, MD, MSc
Funder: National Institutes of Health, National Center for the Advancement of Translational Science (PIs: Lemon, Allison, Saag, Harris)
Storytelling Toolkit
Interested in learning how to incorporate storytelling in your research? We are always happy to share! Click below to access our storytelling toolkit!
COVID-19
Xenophobia & Asian American Racism Project
Masks and Identity: For many, wearing a mask during times of disease is seen as civic-duty and personal responsibility not only to take care of themselves but others around them. During the times of COVID-19, this has unfortunately brought negative feelings against many in our Asian American communities. Lets build our civic-responsibility by engaging in meaningful cultural conversations.
We’re all in this together: As we move forward and continue to face uncertainty, it is important to build community. Feeling safe in our communities is essential to our health.
Our storytellers, Aswira, Jennifer, and Pin share a message of unity and community strength to build resilience and positivism as we advance into what continue to be uncertain times. As restrictions start to change around the country, we need to make each other feel safe.
Fact vs Racism: There are many facts evolving around COVID1-19. Even though the geographical origins of it point to China, this fact does not offer an open door to make negative generalizations about individuals and groups as well as their place of origin or culture. Being open to understanding others is part of Public Health solutions.
Thank you to our storyteller Aswira for sharing her perspectives.
“We want light”
Stories from the inside
Building Community During Times of Physical Distancing
Words of Encouragement: We are grateful for our storyteller, Ron Wadell, Founder and Executive Director of Legendary Legacies, a non-profit group that works with young men across the city, equipping them with the tools to maximize their potential.
A Teacher’s Message to Parents: We are grateful for our next storyteller, Sarah Johnson, a third grade teacher in Lowell, MA, for opening up and being honest about her experiences and struggles she was facing during quarantine. She offers some encouraging words that all parents should hear as they prepare for this “new normal” of “back to school”.
Parents, please rely on each other (safely) to navigate these changes that will come in the next coming months. Everyone is experiencing this for the first time together and if not anything else, take comfort in that. “Do your best”, is a lesson we often teach to our children, but something that applies to us all right now.
Health Commissioner from the City of Worcester: Dr. Mattie Castiel, the Health Commissioner for the City of Worcester, shares some words.
Jessica’s Message
Legendary Legacies and Helping Others: We would like to bring back our storyteller, Ron Wadell. In this video, Ron goes into detail about his program, and the immediate response him and his team had to this pandemic, identifying, connecting, and offering help to community members in need. He also recognizes and reflects on the food insecurity that exists for too many.
We hope that those watching can feel inspired to lend a helping hand to others in need during these trying times and not to forget that we are all together in this. With the difficult times that we have been faced with during the last year, there is also so much good that is going on in the world that continue to bring us hope. There are many ways to help.
LGBTQIA+ Stories
Giving a voice to patients from communities that have been traditionally underserved can make a difference in how we train our future clinicians. We are working with UMass Medical School in incorporating first-hand narratives as a way to improve the curriculum and empower learners to be agents of change in the communities they serve.
