Rebuilding Trust in Public Health: Causes, Consequences, and Responses
The Yale School of Public Health (YSPH) held our 2026 Conference entitled, “Rebuilding Trust in Public Health: Causes, Consequences, and Responses” on February 10, 2026, at Yale University in Kline Tower.
Trust in institutions—especially in public health—is declining. The Yale School of Public Health helped reverse this trend by convening researchers, students, practitioners, communicators, policy-makers, and community partners for a conference examining the roots, impacts, and extent of public health distrust, as well as innovative efforts and future strategies to address it.
This conference featured four panel sessions and closed with a keynote speaker and reception.
This conference was co-sponsored by The Institution for Social and Policy Studies (ISPS) at Yale University and the MacMillan Center for International & Area Studies at Yale.
Please contact Holly Zoeller at holly.zoeller@yale.edu with any questions you may have.
Event Agenda
Tuesday, February 10
| 8:30 - 9:00 AM | Breakfast/Coffee |
| 9:00 - 9:30 AM | Welcome and Opening Remarks with Dean Megan Ranney |
| 9:30 - 10:45 AM | Panel Session #1 – Understanding Trust: Concepts, Evidence, and Applications to Public Health Moderator: Jason Schwartz Panelists: • Dr. David Bersoff, Head of Research, Edelman Trust Institute • Dr. Brian Castrucci, President and Chief Operating Officer, the de Beaumont Foundation • Dr. Peter Lurie, President and Executive Director, Center for Science in the Public Interest • Dr. Adam Seth Levine, SNF Agora Professor of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health |
| 10:45 - 11:00 AM | Break |
| 11:00 - 12:15 PM | Panel Session #2 – Erosion and Impact: Case Studies in Declining Trust Moderator: Ayah Nurridin Panelists: • Dr. Jennifer Reich, Professor of Sociology, University of Colorado Denver • Dr. Alka Menon, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Yale University • Dr. Craig Spencer, Associate Professor of the Practice of Health Services, Policy and Practice, Brown University School of Public Health • Dr. Vanessa Northington Gamble, Professor of Medical Humanities, Professor of Medicine, and Professor of Health Policy and American Studies, The George Washington University |
| 12:15 - 1:30 PM | Lunch |
| 1:30 - 2:45 PM | Panel Session #3 – Rebuilding Together: Community Partnerships to Promote Trust Moderator: Joan Monin Panelists: • Erica DeFrancesco, Empowering Partnerships Network • Ellen Sue Moses, Empowering Partnership Network • Dr. Marco Ramos, Assistant Professor of the History of Medicine and History, Yale University • Dr. Pamela Monk Kelley • Jose DeJesus, Community Engagement Program Coordinator, Yale School of Medicine • Ayah Nurridin |
| 2:45 - 3:00 PM | Break |
| 3:00 - 4:15 PM | Panel Session #4 – Reimagining Trust: Strategies to Enhance Public Understanding of Health and Science Moderator: Katelyn Jetelina Panelists: • Brinda Adhikari, Co-Host, “Why Should I Trust You” Podcast • Asuka Koda, Student, Yale University • Dr. Jessica McDonald, Science Editor, FactCheck.org • Dr. Emily Vraga, Don and Carole Larson Professor of Health Communication, Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Minnesota |
| 4:15 - 5:00 PM | Break |
| 5:00 - 6:00 PM | Keynote Lecture Location: Marsh Hall |
| 6:00 - 7:00 PM | Reception |