Health misinformation and disinformation: How to know what’s real

Bradford (Brad) Hesse received his degree in psychology from the University of Utah in 1988 with an accompanying internship in the nascent field of medical informatics. After completing his degree, he served as a postdoctoral fellow within the Department of Social and Decision Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University after which he ran a user-centered design program in Palo Alto, California, for the American Institutes for Research. Dr. Hesse was recruited to the National Cancer Institute in 2003 and served as chief of the Health Communication and Informatics Research Branch within the institute’s Behavioral Research Program. From 2004 to 2013 he served as the program director for the Centers of Excellence in Cancer Communication Research, a cutting-edge research initiative aimed at expanding the knowledge base underlying effective cancer communication strategies. He also served as Director for the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS), a biennial general population survey designed to monitor the public’s use of health information during a period of enhanced capacity at the crest of the information revolution. 
During his career, Dr. Hesse has authored or co-authored over 200 publications, including peer-reviewed journal articles, technical reports, books, and book chapters. He served on the Publication and Communications Board of Advisors for the American Psychological Association from 2011 to 2017, on the Board of Directors for the Society of Behavioral Medicine from 2010 to 2017, and on the Steering Committee for the Houston VA’s Center of Innovation for Veteran-Centered and Value-Driven Care from 2013 to the present. Dr. Hesse retired from federal service in 2019, but continues to consult on projects that are important and relevant to his personal mission. He currently lives full time at his home in Kailua Kona, Hawaii.