Innovations in Digital Media for Behavior Change in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

W. Douglas Evans is currently a Professor at the Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University. Dr. Evans does research on Social and Behavior Change Communication, Social Marketing, Digital Health, Branding, and Applied Experimental Research Methods. He has ongoing projects funded by the National Institutes of Health and major foundations, and he works both in the United States and in Low and Middle Income Countries worldwide. He has published over 160 peer-reviewed journal articles, books, and chapters on behavior change methodologies including social marketing and health communication. He has ongoing studies and projects in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, including programs that apply marketing communication and branding strategies to change social norms related to multiple behaviors. Dr. Evans has current and recent projects focused on eliminating female genital mutilation and cutting, promoting modern cookstove adoption and use, promote vaccination, and consistent use of modern family planning and contraceptive methods

Molly Canty is the Director of Innovation Grants & Partnerships at Dimagi, Inc. She is based in Washington, DC where she focuses on strategic partnerships and innovative program design for digital solutions. She also leads global strategy for mLabour, Dimagi’s digital tool for improved intrapartum care. Prior to this, Molly worked for Dimagi in Cape Town, South Africa for several years, where she specialized in project management and implementation for maternal and reproductive health programs. 

Dr. Annie Feighery is a behavioral health scientist specializing in management systems, water, and health. She is the co-founder and CEO of mWater, a tech startup that leverages real-time, cloud-based management tools to catalyze the work of health professionals and governments around the world. mWater is a free platform used to map and monitor critical points of infrastructure including water sources and sanitation facilities. In eight years, the platform has grown to serve 12 national governments and thousands of local governments in 174 countries. Last year, mWater expanded to the brand Solstice. Marking the first data point humans monitored to understand their world, Solstice provides a data-centric operating system for healthcare facilities, complex emergencies, and researchers. Dr. Feighery is the mother of three children.

Dr. Allegrante is an applied behavioral scientist whose research focuses on health behavior, behavioral self-management, and health outcomes in chronic disease. He has conducted programs of NIH-funded research to investigate new approaches to understanding, predicting, and intervening on the barriers and facilitators of behavioral self-management of chronic disease. He is former SOPHE President and editor emeritus of SOPHE's journal, Health Education & Behavior.

Dr. Joe Smyser is the CEO of The Public Good Projects (PGP), a nonprofit organization that designs and implements large-scale behavior change programs for the public good. PGP selects its work based on three criteria: will it advance public health, will it create change at a large scale, and will it be rigorously evaluated. PGP has designed several opioid awareness campaigns to date, three research studies with Google, Facebook, and The National Academies, and manages a national disease surveillance system monitoring the opioid epidemic.