“Stories … are powerful tools that can help us make sense of our lives,” says physician-scientist Maya Adam. She now combines visual storytelling and health education to create animations that go beyond the barriers of language and culture to convey important health messages. The subject matter ranges from vaccine acceptance and addiction to mental health and nutrition. These emotionally engaging narratives – often without a single spoken word – are more effective than traditional pamphlets and lectures, Adam says. Visual stories have the potential to achieve “near-universal understanding” that can support better health outcomes, she tells host Russ Altman on this episode of Stanford Engineering’s The Future of Everything podcast.

Have a question for Russ? Send it our way in writing or via voice memo, and it might be featured on an upcoming episode. Please introduce yourself, let us know where you're listening from, and share your question. You can send questions to thefutureofeverything@stanford.edu.

Episode Reference Links:

Stanford Profile: Maya Adam

Connect With Us:

Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website
Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon
Connect with School of Engineering >>> Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook

Chapters:

(00:00:00) Introduction

Russ Altman introduces guest Maya Adam, a professor of pediatrics and infectious disease from Stanford University.

(00:03:43) From Ballet to Medicine

How Adam’s background shaped her approach to health education.

(00:05:02) Why Stories Work

Why lived experience makes evidence-based health recommendations more meaningful.

(00:06:17) The Story Creation Process

Adam’s techniques for creating effective scalable health stories on any topic

(00:09:20) Real World Stories

Adam shares some particularly challenging topics the team has created stories for

(00:11:10) Global Accessibility

Designing stories and characters that can resonate across cultures and contexts.

(00:12:38) Measuring Impact

Using technology to run trials to test and measure impact

(00:15:23) Iterating the Message

Adapting and changing approaches to create the most effective message

(00:17:53) AI and Storytelling

How AI is beginning to affect health communication and creative production.

(00:19:45) Testing Human vs. AI Art

A trial comparing responses to human-created and AI-generated health storytelling.

(00:25:42) Human-in-the-Loop AI

How AI may best support artists and clinicians by reducing burden rather than replacing

(00:27:43) Future In a Minute

Rapid-fire Q&A: stories, collaboration, media, and the future of health communication.

(00:29:44) Conclusion

Connect With Us:

Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website

Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon

Connect with School of Engineering >>>Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.