Dr. Sylvia Chou, 27 UNIHTED Senior Advisor
Wen-Ying Sylvia Chou, PhD, MPH served as a Program Director at the National Cancer Institute for nearly 16 years before resigning in January of 2026. A prolific health communication scholar with over 125 publications, Sylvia’s research on social media and end-of-life discourse has been referenced in major outlets including The New York Times, The Atlantic, and the Washington Post. Her latest area of expertise is on the spread of health misinformation—its causes, consequences, and mitigation approaches. During her tenure at the NCI, Sylvia managed a portfolio at the intersection of cancer control, technology, and health communication and mentored countless fellows and multi-disciplinary investigators. In 2023, she was the scientific lead for a $154 million NIH Common Fund Program on “Advancing Health Communication Research and Practice.”
In 2025, witnessing harmful policies at the NIH, Dr. Chou joined hundreds of colleagues in issuing The Bethesda Declaration, voicing their dissent against the politicization of science. She has continued to organize civil servants, scientists, and community members nationwide with the goal of upholding the integrity of government-sponsored research. Sylvia holds a M.S. and Ph.D. in Linguistics from Georgetown University, a Master in Public Health from UC Berkeley. She is a Visiting Scholar at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania.
As a Senior Advisor with 27 UNIHTED, Sylvia brings her scientific and practical experience with health communication to offer strategic guidance to the new organization. She also leads engagement efforts with the academic research community, offering lectures and “townhalls” at organizations and universities to inform growing science advocacy efforts across the US.
Dr. Chou holds a M.S. and Ph.D. in Linguistics from Georgetown University, a Master in Public Health from UC Berkeley. She is a Visiting Scholar at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania.