Health & Risk, Environment & Science Communication

Nearly a third of our faculty are engaged in projects that promote healthy people and a healthy planet. By using new and emerging technologies to promote health behavior change and facilitate decision making, we aim to attain optimal health for people, animals and the environment. Our work includes studying the design and implementations of health and environmental information, ways in which health decision-making happens and how behaviors are adopted.

Health & Risk Communication Center

HRCC

The Health and Risk Communication Center supports the work of over 50 affiliate faculty members who study the role of communication in health behavior change and risk reduction.

It serves as a hub for interdisciplinary research connections, provides methodological resources (such as surveys, focus groups, message production and statistical analysis), and serves as a go-to for specialized knowledge and expertise on all aspects of the health and environment risk process.

Learn more about the HRCC

Featured Research

We're working on a global scale to study and promote socially beneficial behaviors in the context of health, risk, science and the environment.

Understanding the Impact of Norms and Emotions on Social Distancing during COVID-19

Researchers in MSU's Health and Risk Communication Center are using communication modeling and analysis of social media to examine the dynamic relationships between social norms, emotions and COVID-19 risk reduction behaviors, using social media data and self-report surveys.

Interdisciplinary Researchers Team Up to Eradicate Guinea Worm Disease in Chad

Doctors on Call: Study Shows Impact of Telemedicine during COVID-19

Communication Scholar Observes the Effect of COVID-19 on Interpersonal Relationships

The COVID-19 Infodemic: Combatting ‘Dangerous’ Misinformation on Social Media

See all health communication articles

Centers and Labs

The Communicative Sciences and Disorders research facilities are located in the ComArtSci and the Oyer Speech & Hearing buildings on the Michigan State University campus. There are eight research laboratories, as well as shared research spaces for faculty and student use. These communication labs have several sound-treated booths, an anechoic chamber, as well as a highly reverberant room. All laboratories are equipped with state-of-the-art hardware and software to enable researchers in conducting the highest quality research. The department also provides several opportunities, space and resources for students (undergraduate and graduate) to participate in research.

Learn More about the CSD Labs

The Knight Center for Environmental Journalism teaches student and professional journalists how to better report on the issues affecting the environment.

Learn More about the Knight Center

Media and Advertising Psychology Lab is focused on the study of media and advertising using biopsychological approaches, methods and theories.

Learn More about the MAP Lab

The Theoretical and Applied Research on Media Affect and Cognition (TARMAC) lab is a state of the art media psychology lab featuring four separate areas including: a welcome room, a room with 12 computers for web-based and reaction-time studies, a “living-room” area for television and video game research, and a virtual reality and gaming area with four computers equipped with eye-tracking and Oculus Rift headgear

Current studies include research on virtual reality and entertainment, games and violence, the social appeal of movies, and the role of motivation in media appeal.

Learn More about the TARMAC Lab