Matthew

Z.

Dudley

, PhD, MSPH

I am an epidemiologist, a researcher, and an expert in vaccine safety and communication. I am passionate about increasing healthy behaviors by making health communication engaging, impactful, and trustworthy. My primary research interest is developing, testing, and refining vaccine communication, with the goal of improving population-level vaccine knowledge and informed decision-making, thus reducing incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases and their corresponding morbidity and mortality. I strive to create vaccine communication that walks the fine line of being accurate yet understandable, deliberate yet candid, comprehensive yet compelling, and personal yet scalable. I am trained in epidemiology, biostatistics, vaccinology, health behavior change, and persuasive communication. I have experience conceptualizing and coordinating large multi-site research projects, designing and performing systematic literature reviews, developing and administering nationally representative surveys, and managing and analyzing large and complex datasets. I have consulted for international organizations such as Brighton Collaboration and the World Health Organization. I led much of the design of LetsTalkShots, winner of the 2023 Digital Health Award Gold Medal for Patient Education, a scalable and evidence-based digital vaccine communication tool that combines individually tailored informational animations, personal stories, and trusted sources to improve informed decision-making around recommended vaccines for all ages (including COVID-19). I helped draft and revise the CME module How to Talk with Patients and Parents about Vaccines, winner of the 2025 Gold DANDA Award. I have published extensively on vaccine safety, hesitancy, and communication, including being the first author on the e-book The Clinician’s Vaccine Safety Resource Guide, which has been downloaded more than 63,000 times (as of August 2025). I have also presented my research at prominent scientific meetings and performed peer review for rigorous academic journals and funding agencies. I co-teach two courses at JHSPH: Vaccine Policy Issues (which won an Excellence in Teaching Award in 2024) and The Practice of Public Health Through Vaccine Case Studies (which won an Excellence in Teaching Award in 2025). As I progress in my career, I intend to evolve my research, teaching, and practice to specialize in the use of technology, narrative, and gamification to improve health communication, particularly with regard to vaccination.