Education and Research Training

• Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, Health Communication and Equity Lab, Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania, PA, 2023–2025
• Ph.D. in Emerging Media Studies (Health Communication), College of Communication, Boston University, MA, 2023
• Predoctoral Research Fellowship, American Heart Association Tobacco Center for Regulatory Science, Virtual, 2020–2022
• M.A. in Mass Communication, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Wisconsin–Madison, WI, 2018
• B.A. in Journalism, School of Journalism and Communication, Chongqing University, China, 2015

Curriculum vitae

Research Interests

Wu’s research examines how digital communication technologies and environments, including artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots, social media, and other online platforms, affect susceptibility to misinformation, health beliefs, uptake of evidence-based prevention and intervention strategies, and subsequent health decisions across diverse populations. Her research focuses on three interconnected areas:

1. developing and evaluating culturally tailored health communication strategies for tobacco prevention and cessation interventions.
2. examining how social media marketing, influencers, and platform dynamics affect health information exposure, engagement, and behavior; and
3. investigating the design, evaluation, and implementation of AI to promote trustworthy, equitable health communication and informed decision-making.

Selected Publications

Wu, J., Hanby, E., Ye, Q., Applegate, J. M., Obedin-Maliver, J., Lunn, M. R., Potter, J., & Tan,
A. S. L. (2025). One size does not fit all: Mediating effects of perceived character similarity in
tailored health messages for sexual and gender minority young adults. Health Communication.

Wu, J., Ranker, L. R., Origgi, J. M., Ma, J., Hao, D., Benjamin, E. J., et al. (2024). Protecting
historically marginalized groups or targeted marketing? A computational analysis of individuals engaging with public and protected cigar-branded tweets. Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

Wu, J., Fetterman, J. L., Cornacchione Ross, J., & Hong, T. (2024). Effects of message frames and sources in TikTok videos for youth vaping cessation: Emotions and perceived message effectiveness as mediating mechanisms. Journal of Adolescent Health.

Wu, J., Trifiro, B. M., Ranker, L. R., Origgi, J. M., Benjamin, E. J., Robertson, R. M., et al. (2024). Health warnings on Instagram advertisements for synthetic nicotine e-cigarettes and
engagement. JAMA Network Open.

Wu, J., Fetterman, J. L., Cornacchione Ross, J., & Hong, T. (2024). Quitting on TikTok: Effects of message themes, frames, and sources on engagement with vaping cessation videos. Journal of Health Communication.

Wu, J., Benjamin, E. J., Cornacchione Ross, J., Fetterman, J. L., & Hong, T. (2024). Health
messaging strategies for vaping prevention and cessation among youth and young adults: A
systematic review. Health Communication.

Past Courses

HPEX 435 — Health Disparities in the U.S.

Certifications

American Heart Association Certified Professional – Tobacco Treatment (2026–2029)