Daisy Fancourt
Professor of Psychobiology & Epidemiology, University College London
I am a professor of psychobiology & epidemiology and head of the Social Biobehavioural Research Group at University College London. My research focuses on the effects of social connections and behaviors on health, including social deficits (e.g. loneliness and social isolation) and social assets (e.g. community engagement, arts and cultural activities and social prescribing). I am the author of "Art Cure". I am a 2018 Philip Leverhulme Prize winner. I am director of the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Arts and Health, a member of the WHO Technical Advisory Group on Cultural and Behavioural Insights on Health and an expert scientific adviser to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). I led the award-winning COVID-19 Social Study, the UK's largest study into the psychological and social impact of the virus.
EXPs by Daisy Fancourt
Social prescribing has arisen from a recognition that we do not always have medical solutions to problems, and sometimes problems do not need medical solutions.
We consistently find that people who are engaged more regularly in arts activities over time have lower odds of developing mental health problems. One of the important things is to understand why and how it is that the arts affect our health.
Dozens of longitudinal studies show that loneliness and isolation are associated with future incidence of diseases. If our societies are designed properly, nobody should feel lonely. We should all feel like we have that community around us, those people to support us and those easy opportunities to engage with others.