Interests:  health and environmental risk perception, communication,  energy development, vaccine safety, and climate change

My research focuses on health and environmental risk communication. I study how people view contentious health and environmental issues; social-psychological factors that influence public opinion; how news media cover these topics; and why messages designed to engaging audiences on these topics succeed or fail. In the message effects area, I am especially interested in communicating scientific consensus in the context of risk issues that may be “settled” scientifically but remain socially contentious.