Welcome to the Viswanath Lab

Despite recent advances in our understanding of the relationship between lifestyle and disease prevention, there are significant gaps in the translation of knowledge from research settings to clinical and community settings. Communication plays a critical role in the process of knowledge transfer from researchers to the populations, a process that demands a careful delineation of the audience, communication processes, and communication channels. Equally critical is a "feedback loop" between the consumers of research-based information and those who produce it. Our research group is interested in examining and defining the role of communication across the cancer continuum -- from prevention and detection, to diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. Our group has a particular interest in how inequalities in the distribution of communication resources and channels relate to health disparities.

This website is a resource for researchers, students, and practitioners interested in health communication, particularly as it relates to cancer disparities. In addition to projects specific to the Viswanath Lab, we have also compiled useful statistics and important readings for work in cancer disparities and communication. If you have suggestions or comments on how we may make this a more useful resource, please email us.