My research centers how novel consumer technologies are promoted, why and how people use them, and what promotion and use does to our personal and collective wellbeing. Much of my current work uses qualitative and mixed-methods approaches to examine the public health implications of AI chatbots and AI generated visuals. I’m also very interested in how the commercial determinants of health intersect with technology and the online marketing and promotion of products like tobacco and nicotine. If you’d like to chat about potential research collaborations, reach out!

My interest in novel technologies began with food tech earlier in my career*, and I’ve published on the public acceptance of innovative alternatives to animal products. I also remain engaged in COVID and vaccine-uptake related research, particularly how to better support people living with Long COVID.

My research has been published in journals like the Journal of Medical Internet Research, New Media & Society, Tobacco Control, the American Journal of Public Health, Sociology of Health & Illness, and BMC Medicine. It has also garnered attention from major US and international news outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Nature, Slate, STAT, BBC Radio 4, and Svenska Dagbladet.

I'm committed to doing public health education well and currently serve as Director of our Master of Public Health program. I enjoy building programs, accreditation processes, and curriculum mapping.

On a more personal note, I grew up splitting my time between Sweden and the U.S., with a brief interlude in Waterloo, Belgium. After completing my Master of Public Policy at George Washington University, I earned my PhD in Health Policy and Management from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. I have been a member of the faculty in the Public Health Policy & Management program at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee since 2013.

*Actually, my interest in novel tech began with trying to make Dr. Sbaitso curse back in the very early 90s.