Brian Callender
· Assistant Director, Clinical and Education Programs, Center for Global Health Assistant Professor, Section of Hospital Medicine, Department of MedicineUniversity of Chicago · Global Health
Active 1972–2024
Research topics
- Sociology
- Political Science
- Medicine
- Literature
- Law
- Virology
- Art
- Computer Science
- Public relations
- Internal medicine
- History
- Gender studies
- Aesthetics
- Media studies
- Visual arts
- World Wide Web
- Linguistics
- Philosophy
- Nursing
Selected publications
International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics · 2024-06-14
articleInternational Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics · 2024-09-27
articleGraphic Medicine: History, Theory, and Practice
2024-01-01
book-chapter1st authorCorrespondingInternational Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics · 2023-09-29
articleInternational Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics · 2023-06-01
articleBrachytherapy · 2023-01-19 · 2 citations
articleOpen accessPandemics and Epidemics in Cultural Representation
2022-01-01 · 5 citations
bookSenior author2022-01-01 · 1 citations
book-chapterSenior authorAcademic Medicine · 2022-08-10 · 10 citations
articleNinety-minute virtual workshops that used improvisational comedy, standup comedy, graphic medicine, and Theatre of the Oppressed were implemented in 2020 within a required health equity course at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine to train 90 first-year medical students in advancing health equity. Learning objectives were to (1) deepen understanding of diverse human experiences by developing relationship skills, such as empathy, active listening, engagement, and observation; (2) recognize how diverse patients perceive students and how students perceive them to gain insight into one's identity and how intersectional systems of oppression can stigmatize and marginalize different identities; and (3) engage in free, frank, fearless, and safe conversations about structural racism, colonialism, White and other social privileges, and systemic factors that lead to health inequities. With a 61% (109/180 [90 students × 2 workshops per student]) survey response rate, 72% of respondents thought workshops were very good or excellent, and 83% agreed or strongly agreed they would recommend workshops to others. Key recommendations are to (1) incorporate experiential storytelling and discussion; (2) define clear learning goals for each workshop, map exercises to these goals, and explain their relevance to students; and (3) create a safe, courageous, brave space for exploration and discussion. For health equity, transformation happens as students share their perspectives of curriculum content from their intersectional identities, experiences, and varied privileges; are challenged by others' perspectives; and attempt to understand how others can experience the same content differently. The arts create a powerful form of sharing beyond routine conversations or discussions, which is critical for honest dialogue on difficult topics, such as racism, homophobia, and White privilege and other social privileges. Educators should enable students to have the space, time, and courage to share their true perspectives and engage in authentic discussions that may be uncomfortable but transformative.
Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention · 2021-07-01
articleAbstract Purpose: Radiotherapy patient education materials fail to meet readability standards, impairing access for patients with low educational attainment, disabilities, or limited-English proficiency. Design professionals and physicians developed graphic narrative discussion guides, Communication of the Gynecologic Brachytherapy Experience (CoGBE), for cylinder, intracavitary, and interstitial high-dose rate (HDR) gynecologic brachytherapy. This study assesses perceived clinical benefits, usability, and anxiety-reduction of CoGBE. Methods: An electronic survey was sent to members of the American Brachytherapy Society. Participants were assigned to assess one of the three modality-specific CoGBE guides using a modified Systems Usability Scale (mSUS), modified state-trait anxiety index (mSTAI), and Likert-type questions. Free response data was analyzed using modified grounded theory. Results: Median mSUS score was 76.3 (interquartile range [IQR], 71.3-82.5) and there were no significant differences between guide types. Median mSTAI was 40 (IQR, 40-43.3) for all guides collectively. The cylinder guide had a significantly higher median mSTAI than the intracavitary and interstitial guides (41.6 vs 40.0 and 40.0; p=0.04) suggesting the cylinder guide may have less impact on reducing anxiety. 72.7% rated CoGBE as “quite” or “extremely” helpful compared to a text-only pamphlet. When compared to their current education practices, 77.3% reported patients would understand “more” or “a lot more” after initial consultation and 81.8% reported CoGBE would be at least moderately helpful in making initial consultations more memorable for patients. Lastly, 79.5% reported at least a moderate likelihood of using CoGBE. Qualitative analysis themes included personalization, relatability, and graphic narrative (positive domains); generalizability and character affect (negative domains). Conclusion: Clinicians rate CoGBE as usable with potential to reduce patient anxiety, especially with more invasive treatment modalities including intracavitary or interstitial HDR. The CoGBE guides (including multilingual versions) have global applicability, in low resource settings with high cervical cancer burdens and patient populations that may benefit from the graphic narrative format. Citation Format: Santiago Avila, María J. Ruiz, Ritu Arya, Brian Callender, Yasmin Hasan, Josephine S. Kim, Nita Lee, Anne McCall, Christina H. Son, Kate Stack, Sabah Asif, Tyler Besecker, Arushi Juneja, Zhongyang Li, Pinakee Naik, Tanvi Ranka, Prachi Saxena, Brian Siegfried, Tomoko Ichikawa, Daniel W. Golden. Communicating the Gynecologic Brachytherapy Experience (CoGBE): Clinician Perceived Benefits of a Graphic Narrative Patient Education Tool [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 9th Annual Symposium on Global Cancer Research; Global Cancer Research and Control: Looking Back and Charting a Path Forward; 2021 Mar 10-11. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2021;30(7 Suppl):Abstract nr 105.
Frequent coauthors
- 27 shared
Sathyaraj Venkatesan
National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli
- 26 shared
Antara Chatterjee
- 25 shared
Amari N. Lewis
University of California, San Diego
- 10 shared
Tomoko Ichikawa
- 9 shared
Daniel W. Golden
- 7 shared
Pilar Ortega
University of Illinois Chicago
- 7 shared
Santiago Avila
- 6 shared
Idalid Franco
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
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