Katherine Elder

Katherine Elder is a Teaching Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). She specializes in bridging public health research with effective policy through translation and implementation science. Her work emphasizes equitable policy design and real-world application of communication strategies.

Education:

• Ph.D. (2017), University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
• Masters of Public Affairs (2009), University of Texas at Austin Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs
• Bachelor of Arts (2006), University of California, Davis

Research Interests: Focuses on health communication, political communication, and environmental/science communication. Explores how media and digital communication shape policy decisions, particularly in healthcare and public health. Her work addresses health disparities, physician-patient communication, and the impact of propaganda in youth contexts.

Research Trends: Her articles span pandemic education, healthcare surveillance, physician decision-making, and the political dimensions of healthcare policy. Themes include crisis communication, evidence-based practice, and the intersection of media narratives with public health outcomes.

Grants and Experience:

• Postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas Health Science Center (grant-funded health messaging project)
• Former program analyst at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Obama administration)

Labs/Teams: No specific labs or teams explicitly mentioned, but collaborates across public health and policy networks.