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RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — The U.S. Surgeon General has released a new advisory proclaiming that the spread of misinformation — in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic — is a serious public health threat. Brian Southwell, Ph.D., is an expert on the topic of misinformation and how it spreads at RTI International, a nonprofit research institute. He is available for media interviews and can speak to why misinformation occurs, how to combat it and provide insights on improving communication channels to prevent another ‘info-demic’ from occurring in the future.
Dr. Southwell has served as a key resource throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to help inform media outlets and the public on what misinformation is and how to address it. He has dedicated parts of his decades-long career to investigating the public understanding and misunderstanding of science, which has contributed to the spread of misinformation throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Southwell is senior director of the Science in the Public Sphere program at RTI. He also serves as a faculty member at both Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His work on this topic includes a recent book on misinformation and published studies in relation to misinformation and COVID-19 on connecting public understanding of other infectious diseases to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as evidence regarding COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy.
To learn more about Dr. Southwell: https://www.rti.org/experts/expert-profiles/improving-society-bridging-gap-between-science-and-everyday-life
To set up an interview please contact news@rti.org
