Northwestern University
Lab Members
Students I advise in the Media Technology and Society (MTS) doctoral program in the Department of Communication Studies work in the ARCH lab. I am considering doctoral applications for the December 2025 application deadline, with students set to begin the program in the fall of 2026. Undergraduate students are always welcome to join our lab. Please contact us if you are interested in learning more about what we do or if you have any questions.
Hoda Fakhari, MS
Hoda Fakhari is a Ph.D. candidate in the Media, Technology, and Society program and M.S. candidate in Applied Statistics at Northwestern. Broadly, she studies how the communication of complex and uncertain information in the contexts of science and health influences people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Using mixed-methods, her research focuses on explicating, measuring, and evaluating the role of complexity and uncertainty in risk perception and decision-making in order to develop communication interventions that promote healthier, safer, and more equitable outcomes for individuals and society.
Savanna Kerstiens, MA
Savanna Kerstiens is a Ph.D. student in the Media, Technology, and Society program at Northwestern University. Her research focuses on the impact of communication in clinical settings, with a particular emphasis on risk prevention, the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based interventions, and patient-provider relationships. Current projects involve evaluating dissemination strategies and their influence on health and clinical outcomes.
Alina Majid, MPH
Alina Majid is a PhD student in the Media, Technology, and Society program at Northwestern University. Alina is interested in conducting research on how patients experience and manage health-related uncertainty and risk as well as how they make health decisions under uncertain conditions. Alina is also interested in how patients and healthcare providers communicate about uncertainty during clinical encounters. Before coming to Northwestern, Alina completed a fellowship at the National Cancer Institute's Healthcare Delivery Research Program. Alina also has a BS in Chemistry and MPH degree from the University of Maryland, College Park.
Annie O'Regan, BA
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Anne O’Regan is a M.A./Ph.D. student in the Media, Technology, and Society program at Northwestern University. Anne’s research focuses on the communication of health and scientific information to patients and public health audiences, with a particular interest in how communication shapes perceptions of health risks, novel health technologies, and complex or emerging scientific information. The goal of her research is to develop clear, accessible communication that helps people make informed health decisions. She has supported projects related to alcohol consumption and breast cancer risk, as well as genomic risk assessment technology. Before joining Northwestern, Anne worked in strategic communication roles within the biotech and life sciences industry.
Lily Barna, BA
Lily Barna is a M.A./Ph.D. student in the Media, Technology, and Society program at Northwestern University. Lily is interested in researching the communication of risk and uncertainty within genetics, with the goal of increasing both trust in genetics and its utility for informing healthcare decisions. Before joining Northwestern, Lily completed a Postbaccalaureate Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) at the National Human Genome Research Institute, where she investigated genetic literacy and developed survey instruments for measuring public understanding of core genetic concepts.