JSU professor Sayyed Fawad Ali Shah named Chair-elect of health communications organization

Matt Reed, Correspondent

Jacksonville State University Communication professor Sayyed Fawad Ali Shah has been named chair-elect of the American Public Health Association’s Health Communication Working Group.

Shah, currently serving as the co-chair of the Communications Committee of the group, will act as chair-elect until 2022, where he will then serve as chair of the group.

“My research tries to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities by improving the vaccination intake in those communities,” said Shah. 

The group is focused on the communications and public relations aspects of public health campaigns, consisting of scholars across the country that specialize in an array of areas from message development to the psychological results of campaigns. 

The organization acts as one of the leading public health organizations in the nation, advocating for science-based policy and influencing federal policy on public health and safety. 

Shah’s extensive background in health communication serves as a testament of his election to the chairmanship. His efforts in research on vaccine communication and journalism in new media play a vital role, now more than ever, in the attempt to educate and advocate on the behalf of science for public health.

Studying communities domestic and abroad, Shah exercises an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the importance of vaccinations to a diverse public.

He has been a professor at JSU since 2017.