Two thought leaders from the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs have been selected to join prestigious expert groups established by the World Health Organization to explore different facets of behavioral science.
Uttara Bharath Kumar, a longtime social and behavior change advisor who leads CCP’s work on the global WISH 2 family planning project, joined WHO’s Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on Behavioral Sciences for Better Health. The 16-member TAG’s role is to provide independent expert advice to the WHO on thoughtfully and strategically including behavioral sciences in its work for maximum health impact. Bharath Kumar was chosen from among 340 applicants from 71 countries.
“Social norms and behaviors shape so much of our world,” she says. “Our responsibility is to use our understanding of them to improve health and social outcomes, locally and globally. I look forward to collaborating, learning, and contributing.”
Meanwhile, CCP’s Danielle Naugle, PhD, a mixed-methods social scientist who has conducted rapid research during crises, has been named to a 20-member Technical Working Group (TWG) for the development of WHO guidance for social and behavioral research in public health emergencies.
The guidance aims to advance social and behavioral research that can lead to better outcomes for people affected by public health emergencies. Specifically, it intends to set out key scientific and ethical considerations for social and behavioral research for community protection in public health emergencies.
“I am honored to share lessons learned from our work translating community-based research into action during public health emergencies,” Naugle says. “CCP has extensive experience conducting community listening during outbreaks and supporting decision-makers to respond to the expressed needs of affected communities, demonstrating how real-time, locally grounded insights can drive more trusted, adaptive, and effective public health responses.”
In choosing Bharath Kumar and Naugle, “the WHO will gain the insights of two global thought leaders in social and behavioral research and implementation who have the experience and know-how to make significant contributions to these behavioral science efforts,” says Debora B. Freitas López, CCP’s executive director. “They will be invaluable contributors to these international efforts.”
In March 2025, the WHO published interim guidance on social and behavioral research for the mpox public health emergency with input from a large group of experts, including three CCP staff members. From 2024 until earlier this year, CCP knowledge management professionals Tara Sullivan and Ruwaida Salem were among those brought in as part of a WHO expert consultation to develop a Global Research Agenda on Knowledge Translation and Evidence-Informed Policy-making.
