James Dearing

James Dearing is the Brandt Endowed Professor in the Department of Communication at Michigan State University. He previously served as Chairperson of the Department. His research focuses on diffusion of innovations, particularly in healthcare and public health contexts, examining how evidence-based practices, technologies, and policies are adopted and implemented. Dearing holds a Ph.D. in Communication Theory and Research from the University of Southern California and has held roles including Senior Scientist at Kaiser Permanente.

His work has been supported by major grants from the National Cancer Institute, National Science Foundation, Environmental Protection Agency, and foundations like the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. He led the NCI Center of Excellence in Cancer Communication Research and advised the NIH’s national dissemination and implementation conference. His research emphasizes psychological and sociological factors influencing innovation adoption, with recent studies addressing implementation challenges in healthcare systems, climate policy framing, and global health equity.

Notable projects include the SPREAD-NET pragmatic trial comparing implementation strategies for diabetes care, studies on post-release suicide prevention, and frameworks for scaling global health innovations. Dearing’s articles explore topics ranging from telemedicine mentoring to AI adoption in healthcare, reflecting his focus on bridging research and practice. His collaborative approach involves interorganizational networks and community engagement to enhance policy impact.