Linda Larkey, Ph.D.

Linda Larkey, Ph.D., consults with Scott Public Relations on strategies and tactics for social marketing. Dr. Larkey directs the Cancer Prevention and Integrative Medicine office of the Arizona Cancer Center in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Her master's and doctoral degrees in Communication from Arizona State University serve her well in her research in communication of health messages to multicultural populations. Her expertise spans communication about disease risk and health promotion, including multicultural issues and decision-making about complementary and alternative medical practices. Dr. Larkey is also currently a faculty member at the University of Arizona, College of Medicine, Family and Community Medicine and Program in Integrative Medicine, and in the College of Public Health where she has lectured on qualitative methods of research, theories of behavior change, program evaluation and integrative medicine in cancer care.

Recent research grant awards totaling more than $6 million have been provided by National Institutes of Health (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE, and THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE), and the American Cancer Society, which grant is competitively awarded to research best methods to raise rates of cancer screening and promote prevention behaviors among underserved populations, particularly Latinas. The National Cancer Institute also funded a test of a Hispanic adaptation of the American Lung Association smoking cessation program. Dr. Larkey's most recent program of research is developing methods for using storytelling to engage target populations with emotional appeals that create a sense of identification with characters and fostering new, social norms to influence and persuade..