The biggest challenge in public health today is not producing evidence — it is getting people to trust and act on it. Misinformation spreads faster than facts, institutional credibility is eroding, and health communicators are losing the battle for attention and belief.
Dr. Paul Kilgore has spent his career on both sides of this problem. As a researcher with 150+ peer-reviewed publications, he produces the evidence. As a national media commentator — appearing on CBS News' The Takeout with Major Garrett and WDET's Detroit Today — he translates it for public consumption. And as a professor at Wayne State University, he trains the next generation to do both.
This session examines why health misinformation works, why traditional science communication often fails, and what evidence-based communicators can do differently. Dr. Kilgore draws on his media experience, his teaching practice, and the communication research literature to present practical strategies for making science accessible without oversimplifying it, building trust in low-trust environments, and reaching audiences who have already been exposed to misinformation.
Attendees leave with a communication toolkit for presenting health and science information more effectively — whether they are clinicians, public health professionals, educators, journalists, or organizational leaders.

Format: Keynote or workshop. Duration: 45–75 minutes. Target audience: Public health professionals, healthcare communicators, journalists, educators, PR and communications professionals, organizational leaders. AV needs: screen, microphone, HDMI.