About Us
Health Humanities
The area of inquiry called “health and humanities” is thriving at universities across the globe. UNC is recognized for its interdisciplinary undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs that study human health, flourishing, and mortality in a complex, diverse world. Researchers seek to understand how individuals interpret and cope with illness, how definitions of disease and disability are culturally defined, how health professionals can better reflect on their values and practices, and how institutions shape collective experiences of sickness and recovery. Methods are drawn from the humanities, arts and social sciences (e.g. qualitative analysis, historical contextualization, socially-generated meanings, textual interpretation) as well as the medical and natural sciences (e.g. quantitative analysis, empirical studies, data-driven outcomes). New research protocols continue to emerge, requiring diverse teams from a range of disciplines to design practicable studies that address urgent questions and achieve concrete goals.
The HHIVE Lab
Housed in the Department of English and Comparative Literature at UNC-Chapel Hill, the HHIVE Lab and affiliated curricula extend beyond departmental boundaries to harnesses the energy, talent, and knowledge of Carolina faculty, staff, and students working at the intersection of the humanities, the arts, and the health sciences. The HHIVE Lab is a space for innovative research, curricular, and programming.
Research
HHIVE students and faculty collaborate on interdisciplinary research projects that employ a range of methods from humanities and social science disciplines. Our projects involve collaborations with the Southern Oral History Program, Linberger Cancer Center, UNC Obstetrics & Gynecology, among others.
HHIVE members have mentored countless student projects in the form of SURF grants, URCT strike teams, Burch Fellowships, Honors theses, master’s capstone projects, and PhD dissertations.
Curricula
- Undergraduate minor in Literature, Medicine, and Culture (Honors Carolina)
- Undergraduate major in ECL with concentration in Science, Medicine, and Literature
- Dual-degree BA/MA in ECL with concentration in Literature, Medicine, and Culture
- Master’s degree in ECL with concentration in Literature, Medicine, and Culture
- Graduate Certificate in Literature, Medicine, and Culture
Programming
The HHIVE Lab hosts lectures, events, and collaborations for audiences that extend across campus.
- Health Humanities Grand Rounds: This monthly series introduces students and faculty to scholars working on health humanities projects across the Triangle and beyond.
- Health Humanities Journal: Student-run journal that seeks to inspire, encourage, and facilitate interdisciplinary thinking and collaborative work.
- LMCC: Graduate & undergraduate student reading and working group.