03/12/2026
You are cordially invited to attend the History of Medicine and Science Lecture featuring Dacre Stoker, the great-grandnephew of Bram Stoker and an internationally recognized authority on the history and legacy of Dracula. The event is scheduled for Friday, April 17th, at 5:00 pm on the 12th floor of the Jack Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute on the UAMS campus in Little Rock. Parking will be available in Parking Deck 3 (4000 W. Capitol Avenue). The lecture will be live-streamed over Zoom, so attendees have the option to attend the event in person or virtually. A reception will immediately follow Mr. Stoker's lecture.
In this special presentation, “Medical Contributions to the Gothic Novel Dracula,” Mr. Stoker will explore how late-Victorian medical knowledge, scientific ideas, and the influence of physicians—particularly Sir William Thornley Stoker, Bram Stoker’s brother and a prominent surgeon—helped shape one of the most enduring works of Gothic literature.
This lecture will examine the intersection of medicine, science, and literature, revealing how contemporary medical theories of the late nineteenth century informed the characters, illnesses, and dramatic tensions within Dracula. Through historical insight and family archives, Mr. Stoker will illuminate how medical thought influenced the creation of the modern Gothic imagination.
We hope you will join us for this fascinating exploration of the medical and scientific ideas that helped give life to one of literature’s most iconic works.
This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. To register, please visit the History of Medicine and Science web page.
History of Medicine and Science Lecture | UAMS Department of Neurosurgery “Medical Contributions to the Gothic Novel, Dracula” Dacre Stoker Dacre Stoker — great-grandnephew of Bram Stoker — is a Canadian author and former pentathlete. He’s co-written major best-sellers like Dracula the Un-dead (2009) and Dracul (2018), and co-edited The Lost Journal of Bra...