Colleen Derkatch

Dr. Colleen Derkatch is a Professor in the Department of English at Toronto Metropolitan University, serving as Interim Chair. She holds a PhD from the University of British Columbia. Her research focuses on rhetorical theory applied to science, medicine, health, and the health humanities, emphasizing 'in-between' spaces in healthcare discourse. Recent works include Why Wellness Sells (2022) and Bounding Biomedicine (2016), exploring natural health commodification and alternative medicine's scientific boundaries.

Her scholarship spans rhetorical analysis of food policy, public health communication, and interdisciplinary health humanities. Supported by SSHRC grants, her work bridges rhetorical studies with societal issues like food security and medical evidence frameworks. Dr. Derkatch co-edits the Hopkins Health Humanities book series and has been recognized for teaching and research excellence.

Key themes in her articles include natural health regulation, pandemic communication dynamics, and the rhetorical construction of health citizenship. She critiques biomedical narratives while advocating for inclusive health discourse frameworks. Her contributions extend to genre theory applications in medical and food policy documentation.