Our research covers a variety of areas and topics in health communication and health promotion. Current projects we are working on include:

Alcohol and cancer message testing: Alcohol is a causal risk factor for at least seven cancers. We are currently conducting formative, mixed-methods studies with various populations to identify themes and messaging strategies that most discourage alcohol abuse and misuse. Part of this research is also examining the potential mechanisms that drive negative reactions to alcohol and cancer risk messages to best develop audience-centered communication interventions in this area.

Non-alcoholic beer for harm reduction: Non-alcoholic and alcohol-free beverages could reduce lifetime cancer risk. Our work is evaluating public perceptions and preferences toward these products. We are also developing a health promotion intervention encouraging people who drink alcohol to switch to non-alcoholic alternative products.

Social networks and health behavior: Social networks and relationships influence how we think about and engage in different health behaviors. Our ongoing research examines how exposure to alternative or supportive views from network connections affects how people process and respond to health information. We study all types of networks in this research context, including both personal support networks and broader social media networks.