Voices from the Field: Jill Sonke

In this insightful installment of Voices from the Field, NeuroArts Blueprint Co-Director Susan Magsamen sits down with Dr. Jill Sonke, a national leader in arts in health research, policy, and practice. Together, they discuss the growing movement of arts on prescription, the emerging science behind social prescribing, what it means to create community-based pathways for healing, and the economic and social benefits of embedding the arts into daily life. As Director of Research Initiatives at the University of Florida's Center for Arts in Medicine and Co-Director of the EpiArts Lab, Dr. Sonke has been at the forefront of advancing evidence on how the arts and creative engagement impact individual and community health. This conversation vividly brings to life stories that illuminate how creativity fosters connection, resilience, and hope.

Dr. Sonke is currently serving as the US Cultural Policy Fellow with Stanford University. During the pandemic, she served as a senior advisor to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Vaccine Confidence and Demand Team on the COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence Task Force, and served from 2021-2025 as Director of National Research and Impact for the One Nation/One Project initiative. She currently serves on the steering committee and as an Affiliated Researcher in the Jameel Arts & Health Lab, established by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Steinhardt School at New York University, Community Jameel, and CULTURUNNERS, and as an editorial board member for Health Promotion Practice journal. A dancer, scholar, and advocate, her work bridges research, policy, and practice to make the arts an integral part of human flourishing.