NORC Launches New Research Center to Advance the Science of Health Communication
The Center for Health Communication Science will support the understanding of effective strategies to engage communities on critical health issues.
CHICAGO, June 18, 2024—NORC at the University of Chicago is launching a Center for Health Communication Science, a collaborative and innovative research hub that will design communication initiatives that aim to support the health and well-being of Americans and people around the globe.
The center brings together top talent and specialized knowledge in this area and formalizes NORC’s commitment to inclusive, equitable, and culturally responsive health communication science research that supports all people.
Experts in the center will analyze, develop, and evaluate culturally relevant communication programs and interventions to help federal, state, and local health agencies, as well as foundations and associations, address some of the most pressing health issues facing us today—such as mental health, immunization, maternal mortality, and more.
“Communication is intrinsically linked to what people think and believe about health—and it impacts health decision-making.”
“Communication is intrinsically linked to what people think and believe about health—and it impacts health decision-making,” said Amelia Burke-Garcia, director of the center. “The new Center for Health Communication Science will allow NORC to continue its legacy of delivering reliable data and rigorous analyses that inform policy and practice through an expanded focus on health communication with the goals of eliminating health disparities and promoting health equity.”
Inclusive and accessible communication is a critical tool in addressing health disparities. Many of these inequities are influenced by social factors, including economic stability, education, health care access, neighborhood environments, and community context, that affect where and how people consume information on health issues.
The center’s services will include but are not limited to formative research, audience segmentation and market analysis, communication campaign and program development, message and materials development, digital and social media, Health Communication AI, partnership development and coalition building, and communication evaluation.
About NORC at the University of Chicago
NORC at the University of Chicago conducts research and analysis that decision-makers trust. As a nonpartisan research organization and a pioneer in measuring and understanding the world, we have studied almost every aspect of the human experience and every major news event for more than eight decades. Today, we partner with government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world to provide the objectivity and expertise necessary to inform the critical decisions facing society.
Contact: For more information, please contact Eric Young at NORC at young-eric@norc.org or (703) 217-6814 (cell).