COM CityUHK Distinguished Visiting Professor Lecture: Bridging Theory-, Research- and Practice-Informed Approaches to Communication about Health Equity and Social Policy by Prof Jeff Niederdeppe
10 Feb 2025 (Mon)
On February 10, 2025, Professor Jeff Niederdeppe from Cornell University delivered a seminar titled
"Bridging Theory-, Research- and Practice- Informed Approaches to Communication about Health Equity and Social Policy." Prof. Niederdeppe is the Senior Associate Dean of Faculty Development at the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy and the Liberty Hyde Bailey Professor of Communication at Cornell University. An ICA Fellow and a Top 1% Scientist in Public Health (Stanford University), he leads the Health Communication Research Initiative (HCRI) and co-directs the Collaborative on Media and Messaging for Health and Social Policy (COMM-HSP) and the Cornell Center for Health Equity. With numerous peer-reviewed publications and a range of prestigious awards, he is a leading voice in communication and public health.
The seminar explored the integration of communication theory, applied messaging research, and practitioner-focused messaging guides in addressing health equity and social policy. Prof. Niederdeppe highlighted how these traditionally siloed approaches can be synthesized to produce more rigorous, replicable evidence for effective messaging strategies. He also discussed how the Collaborative on Media and Messaging for Health and Social Policy harnesses interdisciplinary and multi-methodological approaches to tackle timely research questions with rapid responsiveness. The seminar attracted around 40 PhD students and faculty members who engaged actively and contributed to a thought-provoking discussion.
