The Center for Health Communication at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health teaches and shares best practices for credibly communicating scientific and health evidence in an increasingly fragmented and skeptical world.
Coalition Representative
Amanda Yarnell, M.S., Senior Director, Center for Health Communication; Lecturer, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, HSPH
Additional Colleagues
Elissa Scherer, Communication Coordinator
Faculty Lead
Amanda Yarnell, M.S., Senior Director, Center for Health Communication; Lecturer, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, HSPH
Harvard Affiliation
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Mission / Focus
The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Center for Health Communication defines, teaches, and shares best practice in health and science communication. The Center prepares public health leaders to effectively communicate critical health information, influence policy debates, counter misinformation, and increase the public’s trust in health expertise.
Most recently, the Center has placed special emphasis on engaging with today’s media gatekeepers: social media content creators. Watched and trusted by millions, creators play a critical role in making sure that young people have access to the health information they want and need on the platforms where they spend so much of their time.
The Center’s Creator Program launched in 2023 welcomes creators who want to counter misinformation and spread evidence-based information about public health on TikTok, Instagram, and other platforms. The program connects them with cutting-edge research, policy ideas, and critical new resources in public health communication research. And it fosters collaboration and learning between them and Harvard Chan School faculty and students.
The Center also conducts innovative, creator community-engaged health communication research into the effectiveness of such public health x creator partnerships.
Areas of Study
Areas of focus include: Digital Health Information Ecosystems, Public Health, Content Creation, and Education Resources.