Dhavan V. Shah

Dhavan V. Shah is a Professor in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he bridges communication science, political science, and health informatics through computational approaches. His research examines how digital media ecosystems shape political behavior and health outcomes, with particular focus on partisan polarization, social movement dynamics, and technology-mediated health interventions.

Shah's research spans political communication (media effects, partisan news consumption, social media activism) and health communication (eHealth/mHealth interventions for chronic conditions, HIV, and substance use disorders). He employs computational methods including machine learning, computer vision, and large language models to analyze online discourse and develop digital health tools. Key interests include the impact of algorithmic systems on information integrity, the role of social support in recovery communities, and the psychosocial mechanisms of technology-mediated health behavior change.

His recent publications (2023-2025) demonstrate dual trajectories: political studies analyzing #MeToo cross-platform diffusion, January 6th mobilization, and vaccine discourse; and health studies evaluating interventions for older adults, HIV patients, and substance use disorders. Methodologically, he combines computational social science with clinical trials, frequently using multimodal AI for content analysis and intervention design. This work reveals consistent patterns where digital affordances interact with psychological needs (autonomy, competence) to influence both political engagement and health outcomes.