Fancourt will also give a pre-concert lecture for “The Sacred Veil” with Houston Chamber Choir and Houston Methodist Employee Choir April 11
WHAT:
St. Luke’s United Methodist Church presents renowned scientist and researcher Dr. Daisy Fancourt, Professor of Psychobiology & Epidemiology and Head of the Social Biobehavioural Research Group at University College London, for a lecture and book-signing event on Sunday, April 12 at 7 p.m. Her talk, An Evening with Dr. Daisy Fancourt, is based on her recently published book Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Save Lives, which was named by Oprah Daily as one of the “10 Books to Help You Make Changes That Stick in 2026.”
Dr. Fancourt’s research explores how social and cultural factors—including arts engagement and loneliness—affect health. She is one of the world’s leading scientists in the field of arts and health, having published more than 300 peer-reviewed papers examining how arts engagement can reduce cognitive decline, chronic pain, and depression.
In 2019, Dr. Fancourt authored the World Health Organization’s global evidence review on arts and health, synthesizing findings from more than 3,500 studies and issuing policy recommendations to 53 countries. She is also a leading expert on broader social determinants of health. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Fancourt led the multi-award-winning COVID Social Study, the UK’s largest study examining the psychological and social impact of the virus.
Following the lecture, attendees are invited to a book signing. Copies of Art Cure will be available for purchase at the reception in Fellowship Hall.
In addition to her April 12 lecture, Dr. Fancourt will present a pre-concert talk at 6:45 p.m. on April 11 in connection with the Houston Chamber Choir’s performance of Eric Whitacre’s The Sacred Veil. The concert also celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Center for the Performing Arts in Medicine (CPAM) and will be held at St. Luke’s.
The Houston Methodist Employee Choir will join the Houston Chamber Choir for this special collaboration honoring Houston’s medical community and the dedicated healthcare professionals who serve it. The program will open with the world premiere of J. Todd Frazier’s Matthew 25.
WHEN: Sunday, April 12, 2026, at 7 p.m.
WHERE: St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, 3471 Westheimer Rd., Houston, TX 77027
COST: Ticket link here. General admission ticket is $20; student ticket is $10.
MORE: Free parking is available in the St. Luke’s parking lot or parking garage.
For more information, contact Grace Roman at groman@stlukesmethodist.org.
