Matthew

Z.

Dudley

,

PhD

My primary research interest is developing, testing, and refining vaccine communication, with the ultimate goal of improving vaccine confidence and uptake, thus reducing incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases and their corresponding morbidity and mortality. I am trained in epidemiology, biostatistics, quantitative and qualitative research methods, vaccinology, health behavior change, and persuasive communication. I have experience conceptualizing and coordinating large multi-site research projects, designing and performing systematic literature reviews, conducting in-depth interviews and leading focus groups, and collecting and analyzing large and complex datasets. I have created, maintained, and improved websites for important vaccine safety organizations such as Brighton Collaboration and the World Health Organization's Vaccine Safety Net. I collaborated with technology companies to design, program, test, and update LetsTalkShots, an individually tailored educational web app about vaccines. I have published my research in and performed peer review for rigorous academic journals, presented my research at prominent scientific meetings, consulted with leading vaccine safety organizations, and published a book on vaccine safety and communication. I co-teach the course The Practice of Public Health Through Vaccine Case Studies at JHSPH. Over time I have become interested in the potential roles of technology, storytelling and gamification in improving vaccine communication efforts. I plan to use my research to further explore how to address vaccine hesitancy effectively, ethically, and creatively.