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CUNY SPH is delighted to welcome Professor Heidi J. Larson to our team as Senior Scholar. She is Professor of Anthropology, Risk and Decision Science and Founding Director of the Vaccine Confidence Project (VCP) at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. She is also Clinical Professor of Health Metrics Sciences at the University of Washington, and Guest Professor at the University of Antwerp in Belgium.
Previously, Professor Larson headed Global Immunization Communication at UNICEF, chaired GAVI’s Advocacy Task Force, and served on the WHO SAGE Working Group on vaccine hesitancy. The VCP was named a WHO Centre of Excellence on addressing Vaccine Hesitancy.
Professor Larson’s research focuses on the analysis of social and political factors that can affect uptake of health interventions and influence policies. Her particular interest is on risk and rumor management from clinical trials to delivery – and building public trust. She is author of STUCK: How Vaccine Rumors Start – and Why They Don’t Go Away (Oxford University Press, 2020).
“Given her expertise in the areas of global public health, vaccine acceptance, health communication, and the social and political impacts on health policy, I know our faculty will benefit from her counsel and collaboration,” said Dean Ayman El-Mohandes.
During her time as Senior Scholar, Professor Larson will continue to focus on developing our MS program in Health Communication for Social Change.
