BOOK TOUR
Upcoming Events
September 24, 2026 | Healio Community Book Club
The Ultimate Guide to Prevention: Diseases, Disasters, and More
Conversation with Hansa Bhargava, MD
Virtual 11:15 AM
Register
October 1, 2026 | The Preventioneers: Lecture and Conversation with Barry R. Davis, MD, PhD
12:00-1:00 PM CT
UT Health Houston School of Public Health
PHB210 Auditorium and Teams
Faculty, staff, and students are invited to attend a lecture and conversation with Barry R. Davis, MD, PhD, Professor Emeritus and author of The Preventioneers: Diseases, Disasters, and the Discoveries That Changed Our World. Dr. Davis previously served as Department Chair for Biostatistics and Director of the Coordinating Center for Clinical Trials, where he helped lead some of the nation’s most influential studies of cardiovascular disease prevention. He will present inspiring stories of individuals who shaped prevention as a public good. With stories that include fire, disease, climate change, and public health, Dr. Davis will illuminate the efforts of those who confronted indifference, ignorance, and inertia to shift society’s focus from reaction to prevention. The conversation will also consider a timely question: Why do societies so often wait to act until preventable harm has already occurred?
October 7, 2026 | Department of Population Health Grand Rounds
12:00-1:00 PM ET
Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine
Florida Atlantic University
Barry R. Davis, MD, PhD, will present “Hypertension Control: From Landmark Clinical Trials to Present-Day Challenges” at Florida Atlantic University’s Department of Population Health Grand Rounds. He will examine the evidence that transformed hypertension treatment and the continuing barriers to effective blood pressure control.
The 45-minute presentation will be followed by questions and discussion. CME credit will be offered.
October 9, 2026 | Lecture and Conversation with Barry R. Davis, MD, PhD
9:00-11:00 AM CT
UT Health Houston School of Public Health
Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences
Occupational Medicine Practice
A lecture and conversation with Barry R. Davis, MD, PhD, Professor Emeritus and author of The Preventioneers: Diseases, Disasters, and the Discoveries That Changed Our World. Dr. Davis previously served as Department Chair for Biostatistics and Director of the Coordinating Center for Clinical Trials, where he helped lead some of the nation’s most influential studies of cardiovascular disease prevention. He will tie historical vignettes with current medical issues, covering a variety of topics in infectious disease, chronic disease, and injuries.
November 18, 2026 | University of Oxford Masterclass
9:00 AM CT / 3:00 PM GMT
MSc in Global Health Science and Epidemiology
Oxford Population Health
Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford
Barry R. Davis, MD, PhD, will present a masterclass for students in Oxford’s MSc in Global Health Science and Epidemiology. Drawing upon The Preventioneers and his career in clinical trials and public health, he will discuss how advances in prevention emerged despite skepticism and resistance, and why translating scientific evidence into practice is often a slow process.
The presentation will include the hypertension trials that transformed cardiovascular prevention and Sir Richard Doll’s pioneering epidemiologic work establishing the relationship between smoking and lung cancer. Members of the Cholesterol Treatment Trialists’ Collaboration may also join the session.
Learn more about Oxford’s MSc in Global Health and Epidemiology
November 18, 2026 | CTSC Distinguished Speaker Series
12:00–1:00 PM ET
Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative
Case Western Reserve University
Barry R. Davis, MD, PhD, will be an invited speaker in the CTSC Distinguished Speaker Series at Case Western Reserve University. The series features nationally recognized researchers in clinical and translational science.
Drawing upon The Preventioneers and his experience leading landmark clinical trials, Davis will explore how evidence moves from scientific discovery to clinical practice and public policy, and why societies often delay acting on knowledge that could prevent disease, injury, and disaster.
View the CTSC Distinguished Speaker Series
January 13, 2027 | Lecture and Conversation with Barry R. Davis, MD, PhD
4:30-5:30 PM CT
UT Health Houston McGovern School of Medicine
MD/PhD Program
A lecture and conversation with Barry R. Davis, MD, PhD, Professor Emeritus and author of The Preventioneers: Diseases, Disasters, and the Discoveries That Changed Our World. Dr. Davis previously served as Department Chair for Biostatistics and Director of the Coordinating Center for Clinical Trials, where he helped lead some of the nation’s most influential studies of cardiovascular disease prevention. He will present and discuss how scientific evidence becomes accepted practice, why action is often delayed even when preventable harm is apparent, and what physician-scientists can learn from important episodes in medicine and public health.
Additional Speaking Engagements in Development
Additional academic presentations and conversations are being planned for the 2026–2027 year, including:
Dates and additional details will be announced as they become available.
June 18, 2026 | Occupational and Environmental Medicine Residency Graduation Celebration
6:00 – 8:00 PM CT
Drop of the Creator
10929 Chimney Rock Road
Houston, Texas 77096
Barry R. Davis, MD, PhD, joined the Southwest Center for Occupational & Environmental Health at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health for a celebration honoring graduating Occupational and Environmental Medicine residents Lukas Richards and Jacques Altawil.
Davis signed copies of The Preventioneers: Diseases, Disasters, and the Discoveries That Changed Our World as graduation gifts for the two residents. The gathering reflected a central theme of the book and of occupational and environmental medicine: recognizing hazards early, protecting workers and communities, and acting before preventable harm occurs.
Many thanks to Brett Perkison, MD, MPH, program director of the Occupational and Environmental Medicine Residency Program, for the invitation and for helping train physicians in a field grounded in prevention.
July 18, 2026 | USA FIT Fort Bend Book Signing | Fort Bend County, Texas | Following the morning group training session
Barry R. Davis celebrated 25 years as a member of Fort Bend Fit with a member-appreciation signing of The Preventioneers. He spoke about the connections among exercise, nutrition, friendship, community, and prevention, and personalized copies for fellow runners and walkers.
1:00–3:00 PM CT
Barnes & Noble, First Colony Mall
16535 Southwest Freeway, Suite 4000
Sugar Land, Texas 77479
(218) 313-8323
During a two-hour appearance at Barnes & Noble Sugar Land, I met readers, signed copies of The Preventioneers, and discussed the stories and ideas behind the book.
Many visitors were especially interested in Benjamin Franklin and the surprising origin of the phrase “an ounce of prevention.” Others commented on the book’s endorsements and on its dramatic stories of people who recognized danger, challenged accepted wisdom, and changed the world.
Barnes & Noble Sugar Land invited me to return for another event.
July 28, 2026 | Barnes & Noble Book Signing and Q &A Session
6:30–8:00 PM CT
Barnes & Noble, Town & Country Village
12850 Memorial Drive, Suite 1600
Houston, Texas 70024
(832) 937-1131
I enjoyed an evening of conversation, questions, and book signing at Barnes & Noble in Town & Country Village.
During the program, I discussed several of the individuals featured in The Preventioneers and the recurring challenge at the heart of the book: why societies so often delay action even after warning signs appear and evidence accumulates. Many stopped by and asked thoughtful questions about prevention, resistance to change, public trust, and the lessons these historical stories offer for the challenges we face today.
I signed copies of the book and had the opportunity to speak individually with readers about their interests and experiences. I am grateful to Barnes & Noble for hosting the event and to everyone who joined the conversation.
August 29, 2026 | Readers Bring The Preventioneers to Life
at Barnes & Noble Houston
11:00 AM–1:00 PM CT
Barnes & Noble, Weslayan Plaza
5510 Weslayan St.
Houston, Texas 77005
(346) 595-1711
During a two-hour appearance at Barnes & Noble Weslayan Plaza, I met readers, signed copies of The Preventioneers, and discussed the stories and ideas behind the book.
The event brought together physicians, public health professionals, students, former colleagues, friends, and readers who discovered the book in the store. I signed many copies during an event that Barnes & Noble staff described as successful.
What distinguished the event was the breadth of the conversations.
One public health student said her aunt, a social worker, had recommended the book. A reader working in violence prevention wanted to explore how its lessons might apply to her field. A young reader was drawn to Benjamin Franklin. Others wanted to discuss Sara Josephine Baker and Ignaz Semmelweis.
The discussions quickly moved from history to contemporary prevention challenges, including climate change, hypertension, social media, the recent Meta case, and artificial intelligence.
Those conversations reflected one of the central themes of The Preventioneers: successful prevention often requires four stages, recognition, evidence, translation, and implementation, with resistance potentially arising at every step.
Readers also mentioned encountering the book through The Nation’s Health, the Doris Duke Foundation reading list, the Public Health Book Club, and other recent recommendations and academic uses.
Copies of The Preventioneers remain available at Barnes & Noble Weslayan Plaza.
September 11, 2026 | Lifestyle Medicine & Community Health Grand Rounds
12:00 PM CT
McMillian Auditorium
Baylor College of Medicine School of Health Professions
Why Societies Delay Prevention, and How Evidence Becomes Action
Barry R. Davis, MD, PhD, examined why societies delay prevention even when evidence is clear and how discoveries become policy and practice.
The discussion ranged from vaccine hesitancy and individual action to artificial intelligence and the overlooked legacy of public health pioneer Sara Josephine Baker.
