Faculty Profile for Dr. Manu Pokharel

profile photo for Dr. Manu Pokharel
Dr. Manu Pokharel
Assistant Professor — Department of Communication Studies
CENT 327
phone: (512) 245-2165
Scholarly/Creative Work
Awards
Grants
Service

Biography Section

Biography and Education

 Dr. Pokharel holds a B.S. in Nursing from the Purwanchal University, Nepal; an M.S. in Health Promotion and education and a Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Utah.

Dr. Pokharel's research focuses on the strategic communication of health information to the public. She utilizes foundational approaches to strategic communication—audience segmentation/targeting and message development/testing—to engage pressing issues in health communication. Her primary research program investigates the persuasive impact of visual message features on knowledge, attitudes, and behavior in the context of cancer prevention and control.

She has published several articles within and outside the discipline, in journals such as the Journal of Behavioral Medicine, Journal of Health Communication, Risk Analysis, and Journal of Dermatological Science.

You can learn more about her work at www.manupokharel.com

Teaching Interests

 Empirical research methods, Health Communication

Research Interests

 Health Communication, Cancer Communication, Visuals, Emotion, Skin Cancer, Health Campaigns

Selected Scholarly/Creative Work

  • Pokharel, M., Jensen, J., Christy, K., & John, K. (2023). Visual tailoring and skin cancer prevention: Comparing personalized, stock, and non-Ultraviolet images using physiological measures. Health Communication, 38(12), 2582–2591. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2022.2091917
  • Pokharel, M., Jensen, J. D., Taylor-Burton, S. L., King, A. J., John, K. K., & Upshaw, S. (2023). Temporal frames, temporal focus, and behavioral expectations: The persuasive impact of near and distant threats. Social Science & Medicine, 328, 115967. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.115967
  • Pokharel, M., Lillie, H., Nagatsuka, K., Barbour, J. B., Ratcliff, C. L., & Jensen, J. (2023). Social media narratives can influence vaccine intentions: The impact of depicting regret and character death. Computers in Human Behavior, 141, 107612. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2022.107612
  • Jensen, J. D., Pokharel, M., Carcioppolo, N., Upshaw, S., John, K. K., & Katz, R. A. (2020). Cancer information overload: Discriminant validity and relationship to sun safe behaviors. Patient Education and Counseling, 103, 309–314. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2019.08.039
  • Pokharel, M., Elrick, A., Canary, H. E., Clayton, M. F., Sukovic, M., Champine, M., … Kaphingst, K. A. (2020). Health communication roles in Latino, Pacific Islander, and Caucasian Families: A qualitative investigation. Journal of Genetic Counseling, 29(3), 399–409. https://doi.org/10.1002/jgc4.1177

Selected Awards

  • Award / Honor Recipient: Top Paper Award, National Communication Association (NCA). November 2021
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Gerald R. Miller Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award, National Communication Association. November 21, 2020
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Doctoral Honors Seminar, National Communication Association. 2018
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Graduate Colleague of the Year Award, University of Utah. 2018
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Best Paper Award, Risk Analysis. 2017

Selected Grants

  • Pokharel, Manusheela (Principal). Normative Perceptions and Prevention Behaviors across Time: Studying COVID-19 across 36 weeks, Research Enhancement Grant, Texas State University, $8000. (Submitted: 2021, Funded: 2022 - 2023). Grant.
  • Pokharel, Manusheela (Principal). Developing and Testing Visuals for Improving Melanoma Awareness Among Dark-skinned Individuals, Research Enhancement Grant, Texas State University, $8000. (Submitted: 2019, Funded: 2020 - 2021). Grant.
  • Eger, Elizabeth Kamman, Smith, Tara, Pokharel, Manusheela, Keeley-Vassberg, Maureen, Dailey, Stephanie Layne. Library Online Resource Grant, Alkek Library, Texas State University, $30740. (Funded: March 2020). Grant.
  • Kisi, Krishna P (Principal), Pokharel, Manusheela (Co-Principal). Temperature Extremes (Heat Stress and Cold Stress) in construction and general industries, US Department of Labor, Federal, $154000. (Submitted: August 1, 2022, Funded: September 30, 2022 - September 30, 2023). Grant.
  • Jensen, Jakob D (Co-Principal), King, Andy J (Co-Principal), Lilllie, Helen (Supporting), Ratcliff, Chelsea (Supporting), Pokharel, Manusheela (Supporting). Evaluating Public Communication, Perceptions, and Behaviors related to COVID-19: Improving Health Communication about Infectious Diseases, Immunology, Inflammation, and Infectious Disease Initiative, Office of the Vice President for Research, University of Utah, $24900. (Funded: March 2020 - Present). Grant.

Selected Service Activities

Reviewer / Referee
Frontiers in Communication
2024-Present
Reviewer / Referee
Science Communication
2024-Present
Reviewer / Referee
Applied Psychology Health and Wellbeing
2024-Present
Member
Masters Thesis Proposal Committee
2024-Present
Member
BS in Applied Communication Proposal Committee
2023-Present