Health literacy researcher Kimberly Kaphingst will discuss “Enhancing the Reach and Effectiveness of Health Information: The Importance of Health Literacy” – a topic of particular significance during the pandemic — during the 33^rd Annual J. Warren Perry Lecture on Nov. 29.

The lecture will take place at 1 on Zoom; registration is required.

The J. Warren Perry Distinguished Lectureship is presented by the School of Public Health and Health.

Kaphingst is a professor in the Department of Communication and director of cancer communication research at the Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah. She has worked in the health literacy field for more than two decades, studying the topic in a multitude of contexts including asthma, cancer, diabetes, environmental health and more.

In her current work, Kaphingst focuses on health literacy and health communication research in the context of genetic and genomic information. One of her major areas of interest is how patients with varying levels of health literacy respond to genetic testing. She is currently principal investigator on a study funded by the National Cancer Institute’s Moonshot Program that is comparing approaches for delivering genetic counseling and testing for hereditary cancer among primary care patients.

Kaphingst is also a member of the Utah Center for Excellence in ELSI Research and the Consortium for Families and Health Research at the University of Utah.  Before joining the University at Utah, she was an associate professor for the Washington University School of Medicine. She received her doctor of science degree from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

The J. Warren Perry Distinguished Lectureship honors the late J. Warren Perry, founding dean of the School of Health-Related Professions — now the School of Public Health and Health Professions. A pioneer of the field of allied health, prolific and accomplished scholar, administrator, author and lecturer, Perry was a national figure in his field.