U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Getting Out Your Research Stories: Strategic Approaches to Disseminating Science into Spheres of Influence
Thu, 3/2/2023 - 1:00pm
Overview
This webinar will present strategy and best practices in communicating evidence produced by prevention science research, with specific examples of successes, challenges, and lessons learned from investigator-communicators within the HEAL Prevention Cooperative. The webinar will feature communication scientist Dr. Elizabeth Adams, who will use communication strategy and theory to inform strategic dissemination of scientific findings to priority audiences, and Dr. Lynn Fiellin (Yale University) and Noah Smith (The Washington Post), who will discuss the interplay between scientists and journalists in translating prevention science to mass audiences and the production of Smith’s 2021 Washington Post article on the play2PREVENT Lab. Lastly, Joanna Kramer and Noah Soutier will discuss their use of Instagram for study retention and to communicate with research participants and the public, and their more recent pivot to developing a newsletter that achieves their dissemination goals. Presenters will speak for 10-15 minutes each, and will conclude with a forum style Q&A.
Topics Covered
- Translating prevention science into content that resonates with practitioners, policymakers, and the public.
- Leveraging new and emerging digital communication platforms to engage with audiences.
- Driving the real-world application of data and information produced through prevention research.
View the presentation slides pdf 2.61 MB
Abstract
See the event's visual abstract pdf 218.55 KB
Lynn E. Fiellin, M.D., is a Professor of Medicine at the Yale University School of Medicine, the Yale Child Study Center, and the Yale School of Public Health (Social and Behavioral Sciences). She is a founding director of the play2PREVENT Lab at Yale and the Yale Center for Health and Learning Games. She has received funding from the National Institutes of Health including NICHD, NIDA, NIAAA, the NIH/FDA, the CVS Health Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the BEST Foundation/Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. She is recognized as a Falling Walls Science Breakthroughs of the Year Winner. Her work focuses on developing and testing novel videogame interventions to promote health and wellness and reduce risk in youth and young adults including HIV prevention and risk reduction, HIV testing and counseling, tobacco and marijuana smoking, e-cigarette use and vaping prevention, and most recently opioid misuse prevention in adolescents.
Joanna Kramer, B.A., is a research assistant on the HEAL study at Boston Medical Center, where the primary focus of the project is understanding methods to prevent the onset and progression of opioid use disorder and other substance use disorders. Joanna has been at BMC for over a year and a half and has enjoyed getting to speak with patients while engaging them in such exciting research. Prior to joining the HEAL team at BMC, Joanna completed her undergraduate studies in Psychology and Criminology/Criminal Justice at the University of Maryland.
Noah Soutier, M.A., is a current junior studying both Public Health and Urban Studies at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Upon completion of his undergraduate studies, Noah will pursue a Master of Public Health degree from Brown University School of Public Health with a focus on Health Behavior. Noah joined the HEAL research team at Massachusetts General Hospital as a clinical research intern this past summer, where one of his primary responsibilities was social media content creation and dissemination as a form of participant retention and engagement.
Noah Smith, B.A., is a journalist focused on the business, political and cultural implications of video games. He is currently reporting for The Washington Post, where his work has also included national, political, business, sports and culture news. Noah's writing, photos and videos have previously appeared in NBC News, the New York Times, the Guardian, Fortune Magazine, and dozens of outlets across the U.S. He was based in Israel from 2012-2013, where he reported for Digital First Media outlets in the U.S. Midwest.
Elizabeth Adams, Ph.D., is a health communication researcher who focuses on the influence of media messages on health-related knowledge, beliefs, and decision-making processes. Her theoretical areas of interest include the social construction of health disorders, public health campaign design and evaluation, narrative impact in health promotion, patient–provider communication, and the ill effects of health-related misinformation. Her topical areas of interest include opioid use disorder, epidemic events, chronic illness management, and rural health disparities.