Susan Gallagher

Susan Gallagher is a distinguished expert in health communication and injury prevention, with an appointment in the Department of Socio-Behavioral Sciences at Boston University School of Public Health. She earned her Master of Public Health degree from Boston University in 1980 and a Bachelor of Arts from Simmons College. Currently serving as Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine, Gallagher previously directed the MS Program in Health Communication there. Her academic background and extensive career have positioned her as a key figure in public health communications, particularly in translating research into actionable policy and practice.

Gallagher's research specializations encompass health communication, injury and violence prevention—including child and adolescent injury prevention, agricultural safety, traffic safety, and advocacy—as well as data collection, quantitative and qualitative analysis, content analysis, participant observation, and project management. She has authored or co-authored over 52 publications, amassing more than 2,073 citations. Notable works include her book Injury Prevention and Public Health: Practical Knowledge, Skills, and Strategies (2006, Jones & Bartlett Learning), "Career Paths of Recipients of a Master's Degree in Health Communication: Understanding Employment Opportunities, Responsibilities, and Choices" (2016), "Results From a National Survey of Health Communication Master's Degree Recipients: An Exploration of Training, Placement, Satisfaction, and Success" (2015), "Using the Socio-Ecological Model to Frame Agricultural Safety and Health Interventions" (2017), and "Advocacy: Translating injury research into policy" (2013). Her career highlights include Founding Director of the Statewide Comprehensive Injury Prevention Program at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, co-founder of the Harvard Injury Control Research Center and the international journal Injury Prevention, and Distinguished Scholar and Senior Scientist at Education Development Center, Inc. She also held an appointment in the Department of Health Policy and Management at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Gallagher's major honors include the Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellowship in 2003, during which she worked in U.S. Senator Dick Durbin's office, past chair of the Injury Control and Emergency Health Services Section of the American Public Health Association, and recognition as a Distinguished Alumna of Boston University School of Public Health. Her impact on the field is profound: she played a central role in developing standards for state-level injury prevention programs, co-authored over 30 peer-reviewed journal articles, served on the National Academy of Sciences/Institute of Medicine committee producing the report Reducing the Burden of Injury, and developed technical assistance products and training initiatives for practitioners in residential, school, health, day care, and public health agency settings.

Professional Email: sue.gallagher@tufts.edu