Research

Research is a major focus of the Health & Risk Communication Center. Our affiliate faculty partner internally and externally to study major communication issues concerning health, science, risk, and the environment. 

Projects and Partnerships

See our Projects & Partnerships, as well as Grants and Contracts, for examples of HRCC work.

The Healthy People, Healthy Planet Poll (HP2)

The HRCC works with the Environmental Law and Policy Center to perform the annual Healthy People, Healthy Planet (HP2) poll. This project includes the collection and analysis of data about attitudes concerning health, economy, and environment. 

Learn more about the HP2 Poll

The HRCC Message Vault

The HRCC Message Vault is an online repository of health and risk communication messages, stimuli, and databases of messages for faculty and students to use in their teaching and research. The concept of the Message Vault was created, designed, and branded by HRCC faculty.

Explore the HRCC Message Vault

Our Research Cores

The HRCC structures its research in five main core areas based on the strengths of affiliate faculty. One of these areas rotates annually, to allow the HRCC to rapidly engage with changing research trends.  All of the cores focus their work on issues that connect to health, risk, environment and/or science communication processes and outcomes.

List of HRCC affiliate faculty publications from the 2023 academic year.

Resource folder for HRCC affiliate faculty.

  • Intervention & Campaign Design

    The Intervention & Campaign Design Core studies the ways communication campaigns and messages impact outcomes.

    Core Leader: John Besley

  • The Neurocognitive and Biological Communication

    The Neurocognitive and Biological Communication researches communication processes using physiological and biological indicators.

    Core Leader: Ralf Schmaelzle

  • Social Media & Emerging Tech

    The Communication Technology Core studies the role of media, in all its forms, and communication technology.

    Core Leader: Wei Peng

  • Diversity & Cultural Communication

    The Diversity and Cultural Communication Core researches cultural aspects of health communication, including communicating to diverse audiences.

    Core Leader: Bruno Takahashi

  • Center Proposal Development

    The Rotating Core addresses emerging areas in health, risk, environment and science communication.

    Core Leader: Maria Lapinski

Research