Dominic Balog-Way
Research Associate, Department of Communication
Dr. Dominic Balog-Way is a research associate (RTE Faculty) in the Department of Communication at Cornell University and member of the Risk Communication Research Group. He has interdisciplinary research interests that broadly concern risk, science, health, and environmental communication across policy domains and countries. Recent projects have revolved around scientific misinformation, strategic risk communication, public perceptions of novel energy technologies, upstream public engagement, attenuated risk issues, and government transparency. He is the primary course instructor for Communication, Environment, Science, and Health (COMM 2850/ STS 2851), and has taught undergraduate, postgraduate, and professional courses in Europe and the United States on risk communication, environmental communication, health communication, risk management, risk governance, and social science research methods. He frequently advises state, national, and international governments, as well as businesses, advocacy groups, and both undergraduate and graduate students. He is also a faculty fellow at Court-Kay-Bauer Hall.
Dominic holds a BA in Geography, MSc in Risk Analysis, and PhD in Geography, all from King’s College London. Before starting his current position, he completed post-doctorates at Cornell and King’s, and was a visiting lecturer at Maastricht University. Since 2011, he has been an active member of the Society for Risk Analysis, serving terms as Chair of the Risk Communication and Risk Policy and Law specialty groups. In 2023, he was elected inaugural Chair of the society’s Strategic Endowment Fund Board. He is the founder of Risk Communication Forums, a virtual meeting series bringing together risk communication experts from universities located across Europe and North America; founder of GEOHUB, a trans-Atlantic novel geothermal energy research collaboration; and co-organizer of the annual Ditchley Group Forums on advancing pharmaceutical benefit-risk communication.
Courses Taught
- Risk Communication (COMM 4860)
- Risk Communication (COMM 6860)
- Communication, Environment, Science, and Health (COMM 2850/ STS 2851)
Contact Information
461 Mann Library
db729 [at] cornell.edu
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Additional Links
Selected Publications
- Balog-Way, D., McComas, K., Lambert, C., Cousse, J., & Trutnevyte, E. (2026). Public perceptions of enhanced geothermal systems: A cross-national study on affective imagery, familiarity, and support. Energy Policy, 208, 114917.
- Balog‐Way, D., & McComas, K. (2025). Unpacking the risk of misinformation: A communication‐based Critique. Risk Analysis, 45(12), 4097-4109.
- Balog-Way, D. H. (2025). Hidden in plain sight: why enhancing transparency in risk regulation requires effective communication processes. Journal of Risk Research, 1-16.
- Cousse, J., McComas, K., Lambert, C., Balog‐Way, D., & Trutnevyte, E. (2025). How beliefs about tampering with nature influence support for enhanced geothermal systems: A cross‐national study. Risk Analysis, 45(5), 1152-1166.
- Lambert, C. E., McComas, K., Balog-Way, D., Trutnevyte, E., & Cousse, J. (2025). The uncanny underground: Psychological and cultural associations of subterranean technologies for climate mitigation. Energy Research & Social Science, 128, 104341.
- Balog‐Way, D. H. P., McComas, K. A., Leong, A. D., Brown, D. O., & Schuler, K. L. (2023). Towards an evidence‐informed strategy for communicating lead ammunition risks. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 47:e1445.
- Balog-Way, D., McComas, K. A., & Besley, J. (2020). The evolving field of risk communication. Risk Analysis: an International Journal.
- Balog-Way, D., & McComas, K. A. (2020). COVID-19: Reflections on trust, tradeoffs, and preparedness. Journal of Risk Research.
- Balog-Way, D., Evensen, D., Lofstedt, R., & Bouder, F. (2020). Effects of public trust on behavioural intentions in the pharmaceutical sector: data from six European countries. Journal of Risk Research.
- Balog-Way, D. H., Evensen, D., & Löfstedt, R. E. (2020). Pharmaceutical benefit–risk perception and age differences in the USA and Germany. Drug Safety, 43(11), 1141-1156.
- Balog-Way, D., Bouder, F., Löfstedt, R., & Evensen, D. (2016). Medicines transparency at the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in the new information age: the perspectives of patients. Journal of Risk Research. 19:1185--1215.
- Lofstedt, R., & Balog-Way, D. (2016). Transparency and trust in the European pharmaceutical sector: Outcomes from an experimental study. Journal of Risk Research. 19:1082-1103.
- Bouder, F., Balog-Way, D., Löfstedt, R., & Evensen, D. (2015). Transparency in Europe: a quantitative study. Risk Analysis: an International Journal. 35:1210--1229.
- Balog-Way, D. (2017). Transparency in risk regulation: the case of the European Medicines Agency. King's College London.
- Interpreting the risks of lead ammunition: A relational theory of risk case study. Society for Risk Analysis Annual Meeting. Washington, DC, USA, December 10, 2025.
- Is hazard the new risk? Trends in evolving science, public policy, and acceptable risk: From science to policy (roundtable). Society for Risk Analysis Annual Meeting. Washington, DC, USA, December 9, 2025.
- Communicating risk in a time of division, distrust, and disruption (roundtable). Society for Risk Analysis Annual Meeting. Washington, DC, USA, December 8.
- Beyond “fake news”: A communication-driven approach to addressing the risks of misinformation. Society for Risk Analysis webinar series. USA (Online), September 3, 2025.
- The ethics of strategic risk communication (roundtable). Society for Risk Analysis Europe Annual Meeting. University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway, June 18, 2025.
- Why do we disagree about uncertainty communication? Risk and Uncertainty Conference (RUC). King’s College London, London, UK, June 11, 2025.
- Perceptions of enhanced geothermal systems: A cross-national study on affective imagery, familiarity, and support. Society for Risk Analysis Europe UK Chapter Annual Meeting. King’s College London, London, UK, October 29, 2024.
- Thinking Critically about Misinformation. 10th Annual Ditchley Group Forum. Ditchley Park, Oxford, UK, May 19, 2024.
- Communicating Effectively about Attenuated Risks: Where are we now and where are we going (roundtable)? Society for Risk Analysis Annual Meeting. December 11. Washington, DC, 2023.
- Public Health Risk Modelling & Communication in the time of COVID-19: What went right and what went wrong (roundtable)? Society for Risk Analysis Annual Meeting, Tampa, FL, December 7, 2022
- How can we improve the effectiveness of risk communication. New York State Departments of Environmental Conservation, Health, and Agriculture & Markets. December 7, 2022.
- The Evolving Field of Risk Communication: Where are we now and where are we going? National Institutes of Health. July 8, 2021.
- Science Reporting in a Changing Climate: How can we Do Better? Special SRA Event. National Press Club, First Amendment Lounge, Washington, DC, USA, December 10, 2019.
- Bridging the Risk-Science Policy Gap: Are Regulatory Agencies Ready? Society for Risk Analysis’s Annual Meeting. December 2019. SRA. Arlington, VA, USA, December 8, 2019.
- Talking about My Generation (Part III): Benefit-Risk Communication and Older Adults. 9th Annual Ditchley Group Forum.. Convento do Espinheiro. Évora, Portugal, June, 2019.
- Can Big Data Improve Healthcare Quality Regulation? An International Comparative Analysis. Health Care Quality and Outcomes (HCQO) Working Group. Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD). Paris, France, June 2019.
- Talking about My Generation: Exploring Benefit-Risk Communication and Older Adults. Drug Information Association Europe’s Annual Meeting. DIA. Vienna, Austria, February 2019.
- Medicines for Older People: The Importance of Experience in Benefit-Risk Decision-Making. 8th Annual Ditchley Group Forum.. Kerckebosch Castle. Zeist, Netherlands, May 2018.
- Transparency Policies Across the Atlantic: Our Research Journey. CORS Annual Conference. Copenhagen Centre for Regulatory Science (CORS). University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark, October 2017.
- Towards a Sophisticated Framework for Measuring Pharmacovigilance Impact. International Conference on Pharmacoepidemiology. ISPE. Palais des Congrés, Montreal, Canada, August 2017.
- Transparency in Risk Regulation: Towards a Sophisticated Typology. Inaugural Cambridge Risk and Uncertainty Conference. Cambridge University. Cambridge, UK, June 2017.
- Comparing Transparency Policies at the European Food Safety Authority and European Medicines Agency. Constitutionality, Powers and Legitimacy of EU Agencies or Agency-Like Bodies. European University Institute. Florence, Italy, November 2016.
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