Alyssa Harrell-Webber

Graduate Teaching Assistant

Health communication, patient-provider health communication, and health education and promotion

Alyssa Harrell-Webber is a PhD student and graduate research assistant in the Department of Communication at George Mason University, where she focuses on health communication. She earned her B.A. in Advertising and Public Relations with a minor in Health Services Administration from the University of Central Florida and completed her M.A. in Mass Communications with a concentration in Strategic Communication Management at the University of South Florida. Before beginning her doctoral studies, Alyssa worked as a Research Fellow at the National Cancer Institute, where she gained experience in behavioral and health communication research.

Alyssa’s research interests include health communication, patient-provider interactions, and health education and promotion. She is particularly focused on designing messages to influence health behaviors and attitudes, improving communication between patients and healthcare providers, and finding ways to engage diverse populations. Her work often aims to address health disparities through strategic communication and evidence-based messaging.

Selected Publications

Harrell-Webber, A., Rohde, J. A. & Wright, K. B. (2026). Exploring autism parenting, social support, and stigma in a Reddit community. Frontiers in Communication, 11, 1813037. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2026.1813037

Harrell-Webber, A., Chang, W.-L., Eab-Aggrey, N., Taylor, B. G., Lamuda, P. A., Pollack, H. A., Schneider, J. A., Taxman, F. S., & Zhao, X. (2026). Opioid message fatigue in the United States: Prevalence and associations with stigma and policy support. Substance Use & Misuse. https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2026.2693057

Harrell-Webber, A., Zhao, X., Horoszko, U. A., Murphy, A., Smith, L., & Taxman, F. S. (2025). Using narrative and informational messages to improve correctional professionals’ attitudes toward medications for opioid use disorder. Health & Justice, 13, Article 53. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40352-025-00363-3

Harrell, A. H., Kueppers, G. C., Vanderpool, R. C., Dean, D., Jr, & Rohde, J. A. (2024). Perceptions of HPV-linked oropharyngeal cancer risk messages among a sample of young adult men in the US: A pilot study. American Journal of Men's Health, 18(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/15579883241252524

Rogers, J. L., Roche, K. N., Harrell, A. H., Cordeiro, B. B., & Armstrong, T. S. (2022). Developing a virtual neuro-oncology journal club series during the COVID-19 pandemic to promote interprofessional education and collaborative research. Neuro-Oncology Advances, 4(1) Article vdac139. https://doi.org/10.1093/noajnl/vdac139

Courses Taught

COMM 101

COMM 334

Education

M.A (2021). University of South Florida

B.A. (2019). University of Central Florida

Recent Presentations

Harrell-Webber, A., Chang, W.-L., Eab-Aggrey, N., & Zhao, X. (2025, November). Opioid message fatigue in the United States: Prevalence and associations with stigma and policy support. Oral presentation at the National Communication Association Convention, Denver, CO

Harrell, A. H., Wright, K. B., Rohde, J. A. (2025, May). Parenting, Autism, and Stigma: Navigating Social Support in Reddit Communities. Oral presentation at the DC Health Communication Conference, Herndon, VA.

Harrell, A. H., Senft Everson, N., Heley, K. (2024). Patient-provider communication about online health information: A qualitative sub-analysis of a scoping review. Poster presentation at the Society of Behavioral Medicine Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA.

Moser, R., Harrell, A. H., Brick, R. (2024). Training opportunities in behavioral research at the National Cancer Institute (NCI/NIH). Panel presentation at the Society of Behavioral Medicine Annual Meeting, (Philadelphia, PA).

Harrell, A. H., Kueppers, G., Rohde, J., Dean, D., Vanderpool, R. C. (2023). Perceptions of HPV-linked oropharyngeal cancer risk messages among a sample of young adult men in the US. Oral presentation at the 2023 DCCPS Fellows Symposium, Rockville, MD.