Dr. Julie Downs

Biography

Julie Downs is a Professor and Associate Dean for Research in the Social Decision Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University. She earned her Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Princeton University. Her research focuses on understanding how individuals communicate their knowledge and how this communication can be optimized to improve decision-making in the public. Downs' work highlights the importance of perspective-taking and the challenges experts face in conveying complex information in an accessible manner to the public. Her studies examine the factors that motivate people to engage with important topics such as health risk management and nutritional decisions. Furthermore, Downs aims to bridge the gap between technical expertise and everyday decision-making, employing interdisciplinary approaches to enhance public welfare through improved communication strategies and decision-relevant policies.

Research Interests