Graphic with a blue background and white text reading 2023/2024 McGovern Health Communication Lecture Series

The John P. McGovern Lecture was established in the Moody College of Communication in 1983 by a gift from the John P. McGovern Foundation. The endowed lectureship enables Moody College to invite a leading figure in communication to deliver a lecture related to health policy or the practice of health communication.

John P. McGovern, M.D., was a celebrated physician, educator, author, medical historian, philosopher, philanthropist, and humanitarian based in Houston. According to the American Medical Association, he was "one of the giants in American medicine." His international reputation in various fields was reflected in honorary degrees from 30 colleges and universities. He died in 2007.

Upcoming Lectures

Headshot of Katelyn Jetelina, Ph.D., MPH, a white woman with long dark hair in a white blazer and black shirt smiling at the camera with her arms crossed.

March 26, 2024

McGovern Health Communication Lecture

Katelyn Jetelina, Ph.D., MPH

Katelyn Jetelina, Ph.D., MPH, is an epidemiologist and scientific communicator. She is the co-founder of the Health Trust Initiative and is a Senior Scientific Advisor to several government and non-profit agencies, including the White House, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Resolve to Save Lives. In addition, Dr. Jetelina is the publisher of Your Local Epidemiologist — a public health newsletter that "translates" ever-evolving science to the public, reaching over 300 million views. Dr. Jetelina has received numerous national awards, including National Academies of Science and a medal of honor from the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Katelyn resides with her husband and two toddlers in San Diego, California.

RSVP

Past Lectures

Headshot of Andy King, Ph.D., Associate Professor at the University of Utah. A white male, bald, wearing a plaid button down shirt smiling at the camera.

Challenges of Studying Cancer Communication in a Changing Health Communication Ecosystem

Andy King, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
University of Utah

Headshot of a white woman with dark hair, glasses, a blouse, and blazer smiling for the camera.

A Discussion with Dr. Maria Elena Bottazzi

Maria Elena Bottazzi, Ph.D.
Sr. Associate Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine

Headshot of Ashani Johnson-Turbes

“Let’s Talk about a New “E” Word”: Equity Science…and Health Equity, and Big Data”

Ashani Johnson-Turbes, Ph.D.
Vice President and Director
NORC's Center for Equity Research

Headshot of Jay Bernhardt, 2023 McGovern Lecture in Health Communication speaker

Final Thoughts on Health Communication at UT: A Look Back with Dean Bernhardt

Jay M. Bernhardt, Ph.D., MPH
Dean of Moody College of Communication
The University of Texas at Austin

Headshot of Heather Voorhees, featured speaker for the 2023 McGovern Lecture Series

"Why Won't You Listen to Reason?" Understanding and Combatting Interpersonal Health Misinformation

Heather Voorhees, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
University of Montana

Headshot of Scott Gottlieb, 2022 McGovern Lecture speaker

Communicating Amidst Uncertainty: Lessons from COVID-19 and Next Steps

Scott Gottlieb, M.D.
Senior Fellow
American Enterprise Institute

Headshot of Octavio Martinez, 2021 McGovern Lecture speaker

Health Communication: An Integral Tool in Eliminating Disparities and Achieving Health Equity

Octavio Martinez, Jr., M.D., MPH
Executive Director
Hogg Foundation for Mental Health

Headshot of Siddhartha Mukherjee, 2017 McGovern Lecture speaker

Using Narratives to Make Complicated Health Issues More Accessible

Siddhartha Mukherjee, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Columbia University

Headshot of Seema Yasmin, 2016 McGovern Lecture speaker

From Ebola to Zika: Lessons Learned from Reporting on Public Health Emergencies

Seema Yasmin, M.D.
Director
Stanford Health Communication Initiative