The Digital Health Communication Lab is a collaborative research group focused on understanding and improving health in digital environments. The lab brings together students and collaborators with interests in social media, mobile communication, health behavior, and research methods.
Our work spans projects on digital media effects, intervention design and evaluation, and methodological innovation. We aim to create a supportive environment where students can contribute to ongoing research, develop new skills, and engage with real-world health communication challenges.
Lab director
Jessica Fitts Willoughby, Ph.D.
Professor, The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication
Dr. Willoughby directs the Digital Health Communication Lab. Her research examines how communication can be used to improve health, with a focus on digital media, mobile interventions, and real-time research methods. With a background in interdisciplinary health communication, she collaborates with researchers across communication, public health, education, and other fields to address complex health challenges.
Research mentoring
Graduate students in the lab play a central role in ongoing research. They contribute to study design, data collection, analysis, and dissemination across a range of projects. Undergraduate students are also actively involved in the lab and gain hands-on experience with research methods, participant recruitment, intervention development, and health communication.
Anika Ausness-Ayres: Anika is a PhD student in the Murrow College of Communication. Her current area of research interest exists at the intersection of digital media, body image representation, reproductive health, and fourth wave feminism.
Li Yuan: Li is a master’s student in the Murrow College of Communication. Her research interests include health communication, media literacy interventions, digital media effects, intergenerational support in health misinformation evaluation, and behavioral theories in digital health contexts.
Aaliyah Ngirutang: Aaliyah is an undergraduate student studying Psychology and Sociology with a minor in At-Risk Youth and a McNair Scholar. Her research interests focus on mental health disparities in underserved communities, stigma and help-seeking behaviors, and adolescent suicide prevention.
Collaborators
The Digital Health Communication Lab is built on collaborations that span communication, public health, education, prevention science, and related fields. Many of the health challenges we study are complex and benefit from multiple perspectives, methods, and areas of expertise.
The lab works with collaborators across disciplines and institutions to support interdisciplinary research and expand the scope and impact of ongoing projects. These partnerships contribute to work on digital media effects, intervention design, health promotion, and methodological innovation.
Recent collaborators include:
Dr. Leticia Couto, College of Communication, DePaul University
Dr. Brian French, College of Education, Sport & Human Sciences, Washington State University
Dr. Ashley Hall, Washington State University Extension 4-H, WSU CARES
Dr. Stacey J. T. Hust, The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, Washington State University
Dr. Jessica Gall Myrick, Good Pug Media
Dr. Rebecca Ortiz, Newhouse School of Public Communications, Syracuse University
Dr. Sarah Ullrich-French, College of Education, Sport & Human Sciences, Washington State University
Dr. Elizabeth Weybright, College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences, Washington State University