Ataya: HUMA Interdisciplinary Seminar Series
Project/Paper: Please read the profile 'Dr. Ataklitie Baraki: Surgeon, Artist, and Photographer’ on Smile Train Africa's website.
Bio: Dr Ataklitie Baraki is a practising plastic and reconstructive surgeon from Ethiopia who has worked at various institutions over the last 17 years. He is a fellow and Program Director at the College of Surgeons for East and Southern Africa (COSECSA) and the President of the Surgical Society of Ethiopia, an Executive Member of the Ethiopian Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons’ Society, and a graduate of an art academy. He is part of the Smile Train family, where he has brought smiles to more than 4,000 cleft lip and palate patients.
Topic: Surgeon Dr Ataklitie Baraki studies the effect of the humanities, including fine arts and photography, on patients. He is a painter and photographer himself. He will present his work in medicine and the humanities according to four main themes that ignite his passion currently: creativity and the brain; the humanities and its role in medical training and practice; storytelling and narrative medicine, including medicine and literature; and modern hospital architecture and connection to nature, for healing of the ‘soul’ and the body.
How Ataya works: One presenter and their work – in exchange with the audience. Each Ataya session engages with selected work by the presenter (a text, artwork, performance, even food). The presenter introduces their work and grounds the subsequent discussion with the participants. For best engagement, we recommend participants to view the work (made available in advance on our website) before the session. More on the Ataya Series
