Abdulmalik Adetola Lawal, a graduate student at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), has been named the 2025 Outstanding Graduate Student Researcher of the Year, an honor that recognizes his exceptional scholarly contributions in health communication and media innovation. Lawal, a passionate communicator and public health advocate, was selected from a competitive field of graduate scholars across the university for his work exploring how media narratives influence health behaviors, particularly in underserved populations.

Currently pursuing a master’s degree at the Reynolds School of Journalism, Lawal’s research focuses on health message design in low-resource settings, with a strong emphasis on mental health and antimicrobial resistance. He has drawn on his experiences growing up in a community affected by misinformation during Nigeria’s Ebola outbreak, which shaped his commitment to advancing accurate health narratives through evidence-based communication strategies.

In an interview with him, he explained that the communication and media is not just about information dissemination but bringing about a better society. “The field of communication and media is by far the most powerful tool for bringing about positive change in society,” he said. “Amplifying this power for proper and authentic health and science narratives not only improves people’s literacy about health but also creates a safer society.” Lawal noted.

In addition to his academic excellence, Lawal has presented his work at national and international research conferences, and has contributed to global conversations on public health literacy through communication campaign and message dissemination