Marti Balaam

Marti Balaam is a healthcare educationalist, researcher, nurse and applied social scientist. She is currently the Director of Professionalism within the undergraduate medical programme at the University of Edinburgh, a senior lecturer in medical education and senior lecturer in nursing studies and the co-lead for student experience in the Edinburgh Medical School 300 project.  

Marti is the founding director of The Compassion Salon, which creates a community around new and established authors and poets whose work relates to compassion and wellbeing. This is a place for people to connect, inspire, and support using books and prose as a means through which to consider the various aspects of human existence in an increasingly fragmented and challenging global community.  

Marti's work centres on the transformative power of compassion. Through her writing and advocacy, she explores how systems of power and control can obstruct the human capacity to for love care and connection. 

Marti is also Co‑Chair of the UK Council for Educators of Medical Professionalism. Her work integrates clinical experience perspectives, and educational expertise to advance compassionate, ethical, and reflective practice across health disciplines.  

Marti is an advocate for embedding compassion and empathy into healthcare training. Her work is closely connected to the Edinburgh Global Compassion Initiative, where she serves as Co‑Director and partnership lead for compassionate engagement within professional communities.