Emily Falk, Ph.D.

Emily Falk, Ph.D. is a Professor of Communication, Psychology, Marketing, and Operations, Informatics, and Decisions (OID) at the University of Pennsylvania; Vice Dean of the Annenberg School for Communication; Director of the Communication Neuroscience Lab; and Director of the Climate Communication Division of the Annenberg Public Policy Center.

Her new book is 2025’s What We Value: The Neuroscience of Choice & Change.

Falk is an expert in the science of behavior change. Her research uses tools from psychology, neuroscience, and communication to examine what makes messages persuasive, why and how ideas spread, and what makes people effective communicators.

Falk’s research has been recognized by numerous awards, including early career awards from the International Communication Association, the Society for Personality and Social Psychology Attitudes Division, a Fulbright grant, the Social and Affective Neuroscience Society, a DARPA Young Faculty Award, and the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award. She was named a Rising Star by the Association for Psychological Science.

Falk received her bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from Brown University and her Ph.D. in psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles.