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.
See our Projects & Partnerships, as well as Grants and Contracts, for examples of HRCC work.
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.
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
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.
List of HRCC affiliate faculty publications from the 2020-2021 academic year.
Resource folder for HRCC affiliate faculty.
The Intervention & Campaign Design Core aims to develop and study means to affect behavioral change for better health.
Core Leader: John Besley
Affiliates: Fashina Alade, Amanda Holmstrom, Maryam Naghibolhosseini, Nancy Rhodes, Jeff Searl, Sandi Smith, Wei Peng, Eric Hunter, Jim Dearing, Bree Holtz, Kami Silk, Jingbo Meng, Ken Levine, J. Scott Yaruss.
The Neurocognitive and Biological Communication studies communication and health behavior from a biological perspective.
Core Leader: Ralf Schmaelzle
Affiliates: Jeff Searl, Dar Meshi, Eric Hunter, Laura Dilley, Allison Eden, David Ewoldsen, Amanda Wray Hampton, Scott J Yaruss, Maryam Naghibolhosseini, Robby Ratan.
The Social Media & Emerging Tech Core looks at the role of social media and new technology in health behaviors.
Core Leader: Jingbo Meng
Affiliates: Dar Meshi, Wei Peng, Bree Holtz, Robby Ratan, Taiquan ("Winson") Peng.
The Diversity and Cultural Communication Core studies cultural aspects of health communication, including communicating to diverse audiences.
Core Leader: Bruno Takahashi
Affiliates: Eric Freedman, Jim Dearing, Jenny Olson, Maria Lapinski, Geri Zeldes, Robby Ratan, Manuel Chavez, Fashina Alade, Mary Bresnahan, Morgan Ellithorpe, Elizabeth Dorrance Hall, Dave Ewoldson, Amanda Holmstrom.
The Risk & Crisis Core focuses specifically on communication processes on risk and crisis issues.
Core Leader: Shawn Turner
Core Leader: Maria Lapinski
Affiliates: Shawn Turner, Monique Turner, Dar Meshi, Dan Bergan, Dustin Carnahan, Jim Dearing, Jingo Meng, Winson Peng, Keith Hampton, Rachel Mourao, Johannes Bauer, Mi Zhang, Pang-Ning Tan