If the social science community had to pick one person best suited to answer this question, it would probably be Betsy Levy Paluck.

Professor of Psychology at Princeton University, MacArthur Award Winner, and Deputy Directory of the Center for Behavioral Science & Policy, Betsy has spent decades investigating the efficacy of prejudice reduction strategies.

Her work breaks through the mold of traditional social science in an effort to figure out "what works" not just in the laboratory but in the real world. 

From ground-breaking field research in Rwanda to a comprehensive review published in 2009 with Donald Green, she and her collaborators seek answers to the most difficult applied questions on prejudice reduction.

The talk below, based in part on her recent publication in the Annual Review of Psychology, skillfully outlines the research landscape on the subject.
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This includes prejudices entangled in race relations here in the US, longstanding conflicts between Christians and Muslims in the Middle East, and other deep-seated divides that to some  seem insurmountable. It's a surprisingly concise 45 minutes. 
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Betsy addresses these questions and more in her talk hosted by the Behavior Change For Good Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania.

For more videos in their excellent Virtual Seminar Series, please visit their YouTube Channel. ​

Betsy's work is also referenced in an Episode of our Podcast: "Walking the Walk with Gordon Kraft-Todd."

With over 150 vaccine efforts underway as of July 2020 and nearly a half-dozen already in Phase III of clinical trials, the race for a coronavirus vaccine remains vigilant around the globe. 

Follow the latest in vaccine development through the New York Times' live tracker. 

With regard to treatments that might mitigate the effects of COVID-19 for individuals already infected with the virus, drug development efforts are similarly vital and ongoing. Those efforts can be tracked as well through the New York Times, which is updates its website regularly. 


For readers interested in taking a deeper dive into the complexity that surrounds vaccine development, clinical trials and their different stages, and/or the ethical considerations inherent in this type of research, check out Episode 38 of the Useful Science podcast, hosted below.

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