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# Eivind Engebretsen

Professor of Medical Humanities

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://eivindengebretsen.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website.

## Posts

- [Beyond the Bedside](https://eivindengebretsen.com/beyond-the-bedside/) - A Narrative Model of Knowledge Translation in Reproductive Health Eivind Engebretsen & Mona Baker Cambridge University Press, 2026 (forthcoming) How does medical knowledge travel from scientific research to clinical practice, public policy, and political debate? In February 2024, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos created through IVF could be considered “children” under state
- [New paper on grassroots indicators](https://eivindengebretsen.com/new-paper-on-grassroots-indicators/) - We need to rethink how we measure pandemic preparedness. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed a striking gap between how preparedness was measured before the crisis and how countries actually performed during it. Our new systematic review argues that part of the problem lies in the indicators themselves.🔑 Key takeaways:• Top-down indicators miss what matters locally. Widely
- [BEYOND THE BEDSIDE: REIMAGINING NARRATIVE MEDICINE FOR KNOWLEDGE TRANSLATION IN REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH](https://eivindengebretsen.com/𝐁𝐄𝐘𝐎𝐍𝐃-𝐓𝐇𝐄-𝐁𝐄𝐃𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄/) - 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘨𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴. We often talk about “following the science,” yet our KNOWIT team’s research shows that true knowledge translation goes beyond moving data from bench‑to‑bedside—it implies bridging the divide between biological and biographical life and fostering bidirectional interaction among diverse knowledge cultures. In other words, science must also
- [Why Medicine Needs the Humanities](https://eivindengebretsen.com/why-medicine-needs-the-humanities/) - An IVF case highlights how differing guidelines stem from interpretation—and why medical humanities are crucial for meaningful knowledge translation.
- [Video Summary of Rethinking Evidence in the Time of Pandemics](https://eivindengebretsen.com/video-summary-of-rethinking-evidence-in-the-time-of-pandemics/) - Our book, Rethinking Evidence in the Time of Pandmics, provides a framework for how health officials can develop more effective interventions during public health crises. The policies should engage with the narratives people believe and their reasons for doing so. Watch a video summary of our book below and read it Open Access here.
- [Challenging medical knowledge translation](https://eivindengebretsen.com/challenging-medical-knowledge-translation/) - Our new comment and the article collection it introduces, summarizes some of the insights that grew from our research project, Bodies in Translation, at the Centre for Advanced Study. Abstract: In this article, and the topical collection accompanying it, we aim to challenge so[1]called knowledge translation (hereinafter KT) in medicine and healthcare. The abbreviation ‘KT’ refers
- [Circle U. project: Collaborative teaching and research](https://eivindengebretsen.com/circle-u-project-collaborative-teaching-and-research/) - Exploring expertise and knowledge exchange between academics, students and non-academic stakeholders. Models for knowledge exchange The aim of this project is to develop and trial models for knowledge exchange between researchers, students and non-academic partners (NGOs, industry, public administration etc.) with the view to understand the epistemic qualities (Krick 2018) of the expertise represented by
- [The Oslo Medical Corpus: An Interdisciplinary Agenda for Rethinking Key Concepts in (Global) Health](https://eivindengebretsen.com/the-oslo-medical-corpus-an-interdisciplinary-agenda-for-rethinking-key-concepts-in-global-health/) - Mona Baker and I are invited to speak about our plans for the Oslo Medical Corpus as part of UCL's CenTraS Online Lecture Series 2021-22: Translation and Health 09 May 2022, 4:00 pm–5:00 pm This is a free online event. Among scholars and practitioners of medicine, attention is increasingly being paid to the dynamics of power that
- [How to make sense of medical evidence? Read about our new book on evidence and COVID-19](https://eivindengebretsen.com/how-to-make-sense-of-medical-evidence-read-about-our-new-book-on-evidence-and-covid-19/) - In our book, Rethinking Evidence in the Time of Pandemics: Scientific vs Narrative Rationality and Medical Knowledge Practices (Cambridge University Press, 2022), we offer a theoretical framework that identifies and distinguishes different types of rationality – specifically scientific and narrative rationality – and hence plural conceptualizations of evidence in healthcare, using COVID-19 as a case
- [Full pre-publication copy of ‘Chapter 1: Evidence in Times of Crisis’ now available](https://eivindengebretsen.com/full-pre-publication-copy-of-chapter-1-evidence-in-times-of-crisis-now-available/) - This chapter outlines the overall aims and rationale for the book and explains how it differs from two established models in the study of medicine: evidence-based medicine and narrative medicine. It argues that science is inevitably and inextricably embedded in a multitude of narratives told by both scientists, and non-scientists and further acknowledges that scientific
- [A situated epistemological approach to research integration and implementation](https://eivindengebretsen.com/a-situated-epistemological-approach-to-research-integration-and-implementation/) - Evidence, in the Evidence-based medicine (EBM) sense of the word, is mainly associated with randomized controlled trials (RCTs), which are considered the ‘gold standard’ for assessing cause-effect relationships between an intervention and its outcome; the findings generated by RCTs are likely to be “closer to the true effect than the findings generated by other research
- [Chapter 2: Narrative Rationality and the Logic of Good Reasons](https://eivindengebretsen.com/chapter-2-narrative-rationality-and-the-logic-of-good-reasons/) - This chapter provides a theoretical basis for examining the tension between scientific and lay rationality that continues to undermine attempts to address such vital healthcare issues as vaccine hesitancy or lack of compliance with regulations and test regimes during a pandemic. It outlines the main tenets of the narrative paradigm, acknowledges critical scholarship relating to
- [Rethinking Evidence in the Time of Pandemics: CAS Interview](https://eivindengebretsen.com/rethinking-evidence-in-the-time-of-pandemics-cas-interview/) - Alumni Spotlight: Eivind Engebretsen Centre for Advanced Study at the Norwegian Academy of Science & Letters (CAS) By Julie Ellinor Frølich Dalseth, 05.05.2022 ‘The question “What are the facts?” must be supplemented with another one: “How do these facts make sense to people, and why?”’, said former CAS project leader and professor at the University
- [The science-policy relationship in times of crisis](https://eivindengebretsen.com/the-science-policy-relationship-in-times-of-crisis/) - In a new paper entitled ‘The science-policy relationship in times of crisis: An urgent call for a pragmatist turn’ co-authored with Trisha Greenhalgh and published in Social Science and Medicine, we propose that to better prepare for the next public health crisis, five pragmatism-informed shifts are needed in the science-policy relationship: 1. from scientism
- [Narratives and Evidence – Which stories about COVID-19 did we believe and why?](https://eivindengebretsen.com/narratives-and-evidence-which-stories-about-covid-19-did-we-believe-and-why/) - Rigorous empirical evidence is often presumed to be the most persuasive, notably in fields such as healthcare and medicine, where there are established frameworks for assessing the quality of evidence. In this post, Eivind Engebretsen and Mona Baker argue for the importance of narrative rationality, especially in areas where expertise is contested. Drawing on work
- [Book Flyer: Rethinking Evidence in the Time of Pandemics](https://eivindengebretsen.com/book-flyer-rethinking-evidence-in-the-time-of-pandemics/) - Please share the flyer for our upcoming book. Available as hardback and Open Access from September 2022. Cambridge E-book
- [Presentation of Trisha Greenhalgh as Doctor Honoris Causa at the University of Oslo](https://eivindengebretsen.com/presentation-of-trisha-greenhalgh-as-doctor-honoris-causa-at-the-university-of-oslo/) - On behalf of my colleague Elin Olaug Rosvold and myself, I am delighted to introduce the first of our two fantastic honorary doctors, professor Trisha Greenhalgh. Professor Greenhalgh is a world-leading scholar in primary health care, evidence-based medicine, and social medicine. This was true when we first nominated her back in 2019 well before the
- [How is medical knowledge mobilized in debates about abortion?](https://eivindengebretsen.com/how-is-medical-knowledge-mobilized-in-debates-about-abortion/) - I am thrilled that our project “The Medicalisation of Democratic Rights in the Debate about Abortion (MEDRA): The US, Ireland and Argentina” has been selected for funding by UiO:Democracy – a new interdisciplinary initiative at the University of Oslo. MEDRA explores how medical knowledge is mobilised by various constituencies and integrated into larger debates about
- [How to combat disinformation through narratives?](https://eivindengebretsen.com/elementor-2208/) - In our book Mona Baker and I propose a three-step approach to combat disinformation through storytelling. In a recent Lancet report, Sachs et al list nine global failures which contributed to an unsuccessful pandemic response, including "failure to combat systematic disinformation”. In our book, Rethinking Evidence in the Time of Pandemics, we suggest the best
- [SUSTAINIT Strategy Seminar: Bridging Disciplinary Boundaries for a Sustainable Future](https://eivindengebretsen.com/sustainit-strategy-seminar-bridging-disciplinary-boundaries-for-a-sustainable-future/) - Earlier this week, the SUSTAINIT Strategy Seminar convened a diverse assembly of researchers and educators, fostering collaboration and stimulating conversation around shared interests and values. The seminar's goal was to encourage knowledge exchange among the three centers, while also identifying potential synergies across various projects.Participants enjoyed a series of thought-provoking presentations from experts in fields
- [Poster Presentation: Rethinking Evidence in the Time of Pandemics](https://eivindengebretsen.com/poster-presentation-rethinking-evidence-in-the-time-of-pandemics/) - A concise poster overview of our Open Access book, which presents a narrative framework for comprehending and tackling mistrust during health emergencies.
- [Our new book “Rethinking Evidence in the Time of Pandemics” will soon be out](https://eivindengebretsen.com/our-new-book-rethinking-evidence-in-the-time-of-pandemics-will-soon-be-out/) - Below you can read a short excerpt from my new book co-authored with Mona Baker. Introduction and blurbs will be available soon! “The COVID-19 crisis has transformed the highly specialized issue of what constitutes reliable medical evidence into a topic of public concern. Newspapers and social media abound with discussions about whether the evidence for
- [Available from September 2022: 'Rethinking Evidence in the Time of Pandemics' (CUP, 2022)](https://eivindengebretsen.com/available-from-september-2022-rethinking-evidence-in-the-time-of-pandemics-cup-2022/) - Visit the Book The book interrogates the assumption that evidence means the same thing to different people and in different contexts by exploring the various stories about COVID-19 and the values that make people believe in them. Ultimately, it is through narratives that knowledge about medical and other phenomena is communicated to others, enters the
- [What is the Sustainable Health Unit (SUSTAINIT)?](https://eivindengebretsen.com/what-is-the-sustainable-health-unit-sustainit/) - The Sustainable Health Unit (SUSTAINIT) is a knowledge hub located at the Faculty of Medicine (UiO), established by the Faculty Board on December 13, 2022, with the aim of promoting interdisciplinary approaches to sustainable health research and education. In this blog post, I outline our objectives and the benefits we offer to the academic
- [New Sustainable Health Unit](https://eivindengebretsen.com/new-sustainable-health-unit/) - SUSTAINIT will empower sustainable action through education and research This week we launched the new Sustainable Health Unit (SUSTAINIT) at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo (UiO), with a start-up seminar for all employees. As the head of SUSTAINIT, I feel incredibly proud and privileged to launch this new initiative with such a
- [SDG Conference Bergen 2023](https://eivindengebretsen.com/sdg-conference-bergen-2023/) - This week’s SDG Conference Bergen 2023 was a major event, bringing together over 1500 participants from 117 countries through online participation. I was privileged to serve as co-chair of the conference program committee along with my esteemed colleague, Professor Beate Sjåfjell, head of the Sustainability Law team at the University of Oslo's Faculty of Law.
- [Teaching sustainable health care through the critical medical humanities](https://eivindengebretsen.com/teaching-sustainable-health-care-through-the-critical-medical-humanities/) - Many medical schools have started to include the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in their curricula. Doctors graduate knowing they shouldn’t prescribe inhalers containing greenhouse gas propellants. But they are ignorant of wider aspects of sustainability, including partnership-building, decolonization, and just transformation. The standard approach to teaching the SDGs to undergraduates is to present

## Pages

- [Publications](https://eivindengebretsen.com/publications/) - PUBLICATIONS Find my publications on Google Scholar.
- [Research Groups](https://eivindengebretsen.com/research-groups/) - Centre for Sustainable Healthcare Education (SHE) I am the Director and Co-Funder of the University of Oslo's Center for Sustainable Healthcare Education (SHE), which is a Centre for Excellence in Education funded by the Directorate for Higher Education and Skills for a period of 6 years The overall objective of SHE is to inspire critical
- [About Me](https://eivindengebretsen.com/about-me/) - About Me I was born on November 17 1974 in Oslo. I obtained my master's degree in intellectual history from the University of Oslo in 2001 and my Ph.D. from the same university in 2006. As part of my research training, I studied under the French philosophers Jacques Derrida and Julia Kristeva in Paris, and
- [Blog](https://eivindengebretsen.com/blog/) - Blog Older Posts

## Categories

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- [Europe](https://eivindengebretsen.com/category/europe/)

## Tags

- [medical-humanities](https://eivindengebretsen.com/tag/medical-humanities/)
- [IVF](https://eivindengebretsen.com/tag/ivf/)
- [knowledge-translation](https://eivindengebretsen.com/tag/knowledge-translation/)
- [reproductive-health](https://eivindengebretsen.com/tag/reproductive-health/)
- [narrative-medicine](https://eivindengebretsen.com/tag/narrative-medicine/)