Dr. Brandon M. Walling is a health communication specialist with the MITRE Labs Health Innovation Center. Dr. Walling has experience conducting mixed methodology research using quantitative and qualitative data analysis to better understand issues related to health behavior. Broadly interested in interpersonal and health communication, his research explores how communication science can promote healthy and supportive behavior. At MITRE, Brandon is a lead researcher and analyst for the HIPETM Lab, which explores trends in harmful online information impacting behavior, decision-making, and public safety as well as ongoing Lab research studies across multiple topic areas, including health, well-being, and violence. Prior to working at MITRE, Dr. Walling led and contributed to federally-funded research grant projects supported by the National Cancer Institute, the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the Health Resources and Services Administration, applying communication science, theory, and methodology to explore diverse health communication issues such as: mental health communication, patient-centered communication, environmental health, cancer risk education, public communication campaigns, mass media effects, and criminal justice reform.
Dr. Walling holds a Ph.D. from the Department of Communication at Michigan State University (April 2021), as well as a Master of Arts degree in Communication and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from Michigan State University.
