Lecturer in the Department of Communication, and communication researcher at the Institute for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Research (ISBER), Debra Lieberman is the Director of a $8.25-million national research program funded by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to examine how interactive games can be used to promote and improve players' health behaviors and health outcomes. The Health Games Research program will make grants to support outstanding research at institutions and organizations across the country as well as conduct studies, disseminate research findings, and work to bring new knowledge of the subject to a much broader audience.
Melvin Oliver, dean of social sciences at UC Santa Barbara, says of the new program: "This grant builds on the significant work of ISBER, our Communication Department, and Dr. Lieberman, and it confirms that UCSB is an important national resource for improving effective communication about health. The activities of this grant will stimulate original research, convene important scholars, and create effective tools to help create a media-savvy society where positive health outcomes are increasingly important for both personal and national well-being."