MHM International Conference (2026)
International Conference and PhD Symposium on Health Communication (MHM 2026)
Theme: Improving Health Communication Knowledge: International Experience and Localized Exploration
Date: July 18-19, 202
Venue: Peking University (Yanyuan Campus), with partial online sessions
Organizer: School of Journalism and Communication, Peking University
Academic support: Journal of Medicine, Humanity and Media
Call for Papers
Health communication is currently a vital force in advancing "Healthy China" strategy. In particular, the widespread application of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies has introduced new opportunities and challenges to the development of health communication. In this new context, we must continuously enhance the intellectual system of Health Communication to provide solid theoretical support and clear guidance for its high-quality development.
https://sjchc.pku.edu.cn/info/2272/7842.htm
Since 2018, the School of Journalism and Communication at Peking University has annually hosting the "Medicine, Humanity and Media"(MHM) International Academic Conference to promote the development of health communication studies in China.
Continuing this practice, the 9th "Medicine, Humanity and Media" (MHM 2026) Health Communication International Conference and PhD Symposium will be held on July 18– 19, 2026 at Beijing, China.
The MHM 2026 organizing committee warmly invites doctoral students, master’s students, and early-career scholars from home and abroad to submit their work. The conference will feature keynote speeches, parallel paper sessions, and mentor-mentee activities. Submissions for both individual papers and organized panels are welcome; please refer to the detailed guidelines below.
Conference Chair: Dr. Jing Xu, Peking University
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Shaunak Sastry, University of California, Santa Barbara
Overseas Guest Speakers:Dr. Zhenyi Li, Royal Roads University
Dr. Crystal Jiang, City University of Hong Kong
Dr. Shaohai Jiang, National University of Singapore
Dr. Sibo Chen, Toronto Metropolitan University
Panel Introdcution
Doctor–Patient Communication in the Age of Intelligent Media
Panel Chairs:
Shaohai Jiang (cnmjs@nus.edu.sg)
Zikun Liu (liuzikun@whu.edu.cn)
This panel focuses on the practice of doctor-patient communication in healthcare settings. On the one hand, it addresses the characteristics and practical dilemmas of doctor-patient interaction in traditional offline clinical contexts, exploring core themes including communication models, trust construction, information asymmetry, and emotional labor. On the other hand, with the advancement of digital technologies, doctor-patient communication has gradually extended from traditional consultation rooms to online platforms, exhibiting new mediated characteristics and interactional logics. Accordingly, this panel also examines the transformation of doctor-patient communication in the era of intelligent media, covering topics including but not limited to: communication mechanisms in online consultation and platform-based healthcare, the role of artificial intelligence in health counseling and decision support, health information interaction and trust building on social media, and digital participation, empowerment, and associated risks in patient communities. The panel welcomes empirical studies employing diverse methodological approaches and anticipates systematic understanding of the evolutionary pathways of doctor-patient communication in the intelligent media era from an interdisciplinary perspective, so as to advance theoretical innovation and practical reflection in relevant fields.
Persuasive Health Communication: Scientific, Strategic and Critical Thinking Panel Chairs:
Jian Rui (ruijian@scut.edu.cn)
Zheng Yang (yangzheng@suda.edu.cn)
This panel focuses on the contemporary landscape in which digital media have reshaped the ecology of health communication, and examines the information design, communication strategies, and critical reflections concerning health information. Its themes include, but are not limited to, the impacts of online new media and artificial intelligence on health information design and communication outcomes, epistemic justice in global health communication, as well as the mediated empowerment of patient communities and related critical reflections. The panel welcomes both empirical research and critical scholarship, and aims to inspire responses to real-world issues and theoretical innovation from an interdisciplinary perspective.
Health Communication for Vulnerable Populations
Panel Chairs:
Qijun He (qhe_shu@shu.edu.cn)
Yidan Yang (yangyidan1114@sina.com)
This panel focuses on the physical and social experiences as well as health communication practices of vulnerable populations — groups characterized by vulnerability stemming from physical, institutional, economic, social and other factors, including but not limited to older adults, patients with chronic diseases, and individuals with lived experience of mental health conditions. Adopting both qualitative and quantitative research approaches, and integrating perspectives from illness narrative, medical humanities, and art therapy, the panel explores how bodily experiences are constructed, represented and communicated, as well as the role of multidisciplinary methods in facilitating health communication and social support.
Social Media and Mental Health Communication
Panel Chairs:
Yungeng Li (li.yungeng@sjtu.edu.cn)
Li Jiang (crystal.jiang@cityu.edu.hk)
This panel centers on communication intervention practices concerning mental health issues in the social media era, with a particular focus on the complex impacts of digital environments—such as algorithmic recommendation, information overload, and online social pressure—on the psychological well-being of the general public, especially vulnerable groups including adolescents. It aims to explore how intelligent tools and multimodal content design can be employed to foster a positive and healthy online ecosystem, thereby alleviating digital stress and enhancing social support.
Multidisciplinary research is strongly encouraged, integrating methods such as case analysis, emotion recognition technology, and community-based participatory action. Core topics include but are not limited to personalized intervention algorithms, platform ethical responsibility, innovative health narratives, and cross-sectoral collaborative mechanisms. The panel seeks to advance the establishment of a more inclusive, effective, and ethically sound system for mental health promotion on social media.
Risk & Crisis Communication in Public Health Emergencies
Panel Chairs:
Qing Huang (qing_huang@zju.edu.cn)
Jing Xu (xujing@pku.edu.cn)
This panel focuses on risk communication mechanisms and public opinion guidance practices in the context of public emergencies. It examines how information dissemination shapes public cognition, emotional responses, and behavioral decisions in highly uncertain scenarios such as public health crises, natural disasters, and technological risks. Centering on the multi-dimensional interactions among governments, media, platforms, and the public, the panel highlights key issues including the generation and diffusion mechanisms of risk information, the governance of rumors and disinformation, the construction of social trust, and the strategies and effects of public opinion guidance. Furthermore, as artificial intelligence and algorithmic recommendation become increasingly embedded in information dissemination, the panel also encourages critical reflections on how technology reshapes the structures and power relations of risk communication. Empirical studies employing quantitative, qualitative, and mixed research methods, as well as critical theoretical inquiries, are all welcome for submission.
Tobacco Control Research
Panel Chairs:
Yu Chen (26581751@qq.com)
Shiyu Liu (liushiyu1900@163.com)
This panel takes tobacco control as its core theme, in response to the tobacco control initiative specified in the Healthy China Initiative (2019–2030). The health hazards of tobacco have become one of the most severe global public health problems, and tobacco control constitutes a key issue in China’s public health governance. The panel focuses on tobacco control policies and one or more priority areas under the MPOWER framework, and encourages interdisciplinary dialogue across health communication, public health, public policy and related fields. It is committed to providing robust academic support for the optimization of tobacco control policies and communication practices in China.
JMHM (and all other related topics)
Panel Chairs:
Zhenyi Li (zhenyi.li@RoyalRoads.ca)
Mengxue Ou (mengxueou@pku.edu.cn)
Key Dates
- SubmissionDeadline:23:59, 18 May 2026 (Beijing Time)
- Notification of Acceptance:By 8 June 2026
- Confirmation of Attendance:18 June 2026
- ConferenceDates: 18–19 July 2026
Please note that there’s no registration fee for this conference. However, participants are responsible for arranging and covering their own travel and accommodation expenses.
Submission Guidelines
1.Individual submission
Submit your full manuscript (which must be previously unpublished) directly to the Journal of Medicine,Humanity and Media (JMHM) via this link:https://mhmjournal.net/index.php/mhm/submissions. Submitting through this channel increases the likelihood of conference acceptance and subsequent publication. Please clearly mark your manuscript as “MHM 2026 Conference Submission” and follow the JMHM submission guidelines.
2.Panelsubmission
Submit your full manuscript directly to the designated Panel Chairs. Each panel will accept a maximum of six papers. Authors of accepted papers will receive additional mentorship to help refine their work for future publication.
3.Independentpanel proposal
We also welcome independent panel proposals (on topics other than those listed above). Independent panel chairs should submit their proposals to the Conference Secretariat’s email (mhm_office@163.com) by 18 May 2026. The organizing committee will facilitate expert reviews and notify the panel chair of the results by 8 June 2026.
Independent panel proposals must include two attachments:
1) A Word or PDF document containing: the panel title, a brief introduction (300–500 words), and participant information (full name, institutional affiliation, academic
background or professional title, and paper title) for all contributors.
2) A ZIP file containing the full manuscripts of all panel participants. Each paper should follow the formatting requirements for individual paper submissions.
About the Journal of Medicine, Humanity, and Media (JMHM)
Journal of Medicine, Humanity, and Media (JMHM, ISSN:2817-5166, indexed by Google Scholar), registered in Canada, serves as the dedicated academic journal of the MHM International Conference series. With humanism at its core, JMHM is committed to exploring the intersections of medicine, media technology, and health communication.
It provides scholars worldwide with an open-access, double-blind peer-reviewed platform that enables rapid publication, in direct response to the limited availability of high-quality publication venues for research in this field. The journal welcomes original research articles, academic reviews, book reviews, and conference reports. All submissions in Chinese and English are accompanied by bilingual abstracts, and articles are published promptly in electronic format. For submission, please visit: https://mhmjournal.net
