The Healing Arts – Forging Alliances of Arts & Medicine

Prof. Dr. Anne Berghöfer studied medicine in Berlin followed by residency in psychiatry. Since 2001 she has been senior scientist at the Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, and was appointed associate professor in 2022. Her scientific focus is on health services research in psychiatric disorders, innovative mental health care models, health care in rural regions and for disadvantaged population group.

Daisy Fancourt is Professor of Psychobiology & Epidemiology and Head of the Social Biobehavioural Research Group at UCL (www.sbbresearch.org). She is Director of the World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre on Arts and Health as well as a member of the WHO Technical Advisory Group on cultural and behavioural insights on health and an Expert Scientific Advisory to DCMS.
Her research focuses on the effects of social connections and behaviours on health, including social deficits (e.g. loneliness and social isolation) and social assets (e.g. community engagement, arts & cultural activities, and social prescribing).

Prof. Dr. Sabine C. Koch, PhD, Psychologist and Dance Movement Therapist, BC-DMT, Director of the Research Institute for Creative Arts Therapies at Alanus University Alfter/Bonn, Head of the DMT Master Program at SRH University Heidelberg, Germany.
Her research interests are in the area of embodiment and related theoretical approaches such as enaction, dynamic systems theory, ecological approaches, which understand the human condition as based upon its organismic nature with its capacity for self-organization and interactional resonance. She applies this approach in the area of creative arts therapies, where music, art, dance, theatre, poetry, and play are used for promoting physical, social, and psychological health and body mind unity.

Prof. Dr. Stefan Willich studied medicine in Berlin, Munich and New York. Master of Public Health in 1990, Harvard University, USA, and Master of Business Administration in 1995, INSEAD, France. Board certification and habilitation in internal medicine. Since 1995 Professor and Director of the Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin. From 2012 to 2014 President of the Conservatory of Music Hanns Eisler Berlin. Founder and Music Director of the World Doctors Orchestra. Main research areas cardiovascular disease, prevention, health economics, integrative medicine, and arts and medicine.

Dr. Rebecca Zarate is a Professor of Arts and Health, and Associate Dean for Research at College of Fine Arts, the University of Utah. She was an associate professor of music therapy in the department of Expressive Therapies at Lesley University, USA with 27 years of practice and research in mental health and trauma - informed music therapy. She is a music psychotherapist, musician, researcher, and educator of music therapy and the arts therapies.
Her research focuses on anxiety and improvisation-based music therapy and she has secured several program and research development grants.