Sarah Bauerle Bass

Sarah Bauerle Bass is a Professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the College of Public Health, Temple University. She is also the Director of the Risk Communication Laboratory and a member of the Cancer Prevention and Control research program at Fox Chase Cancer Center. Her work bridges public health, behavioral science, and communication to address critical health disparities and improve decision-making through tailored messaging.

Her research interests focus on health and risk communication, particularly in designing and testing public health messages for diverse and underserved populations. Using advanced techniques such as perceptual mapping, vector modeling, and psychomarketing methods (including eye-tracking), she investigates how emotional and physiological responses influence message processing. Her work spans areas including PrEP uptake, clinical trial participation, genomic testing, diabetes management, HIV care, and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. She has been funded by NIH (NCI, NIMH, NIDA, NIBIB), American Cancer Society, Merck, and various state and local public health agencies.

Her recent publications reveal a consistent focus on health equity, patient-centered communication, and behavior change interventions. Across diverse populations—including African Americans, transgender women, and people who use drugs—her work emphasizes the role of medical mistrust, cultural sensitivity, and technology-based solutions (mHealth, Web 2.0) in improving health outcomes. The interdisciplinary nature of her research integrates public health, psychology, marketing, and communication theory.

• Great Teacher Award (2012)
• Lindback Award for Excellence in Teaching (2007)
• Excellence in Teaching Award, College of Public Health (2006)
• Riegelman Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Public Health Education
• Everett M. Rogers Award for Excellence in Public Health Communication (2021)

Dr. Bass has led numerous grants focused on health communication interventions and disparities. She mentors students and teaches graduate courses such as Health Communication and Research Experience in Health Professions. She has advised or collaborated with many researchers and students, though formal advisees are not listed. Her lab, the TU Risk Communication Lab, serves as a hub for innovative research in message design and evaluation.