Fostering healthier online environments for public health

Research Focus

  • Our research examines the rise of medical misinformation and disinformation, focusing on how it spreads, the harms it causes, and the systems that enable it, with a particular focus on cancer where patients encounter false cures and unproven treatments. These harms are multi-layered, including delayed or abandoned effective care, financial distress, emotional tolls, and social consequences for families, all amplified by digital platforms that prioritize engagement and profit. Beyond cancer, disinformation about public health more broadly shifts blame onto individuals, undermines collective protections, and exploits fear and uncertainty for profit, highlighting the need to address the structural and systemic drivers of harm.

  • We examine how commercial interests shape digital health environments, showing that social media platforms and advertising incentives amplify sensational or misleading health content to maximize profit. Rather than blaming individuals for being misled, it highlights the systemic forces such as platform design and commercial priorities that determine what people see and trust, including misinformation and harmful product marketing. By emphasizing platform governance and regulatory accountability, my work points to ways to create healthier digital ecosystems that prioritize evidence based information, equity, and public well-being over engagement driven profit.

  • Our research examines how health topics are portrayed in public spaces and how these portrayals shape public perceptions. From influencer marketing to wellness trends and the normalization of harmful products, these narratives often blur the line between evidence and promotion. Studying these dynamics not only reveals potential consequences for public health but also provides insight into how people come to understand illness, treatment, and prevention.

  • We are passionate about science communication and its role in promoting public understanding of health and science. My work focuses on improving health literacy and equipping communities to critically engage with health claims. Ultimately, I aim to contribute to resilient information ecosystems that counter misinformation and challenge anti-science attitudes while fostering trust in evidence-based knowledge

Our research group studies the spread, impact, and political economy of health misinformation and disinformation, examining how patients and the public are misled about treatments, disease causes, and health risks, and how health topics are portrayed across digital platforms. We focus on the commercial determinants of health, including how profit-driven systems and platform structures amplify misleading or harmful content.

Our work emphasizes moving away from blaming individuals and toward creating accountable systems that prevent, mitigate, and respond to disinformation.

Latest Research

  • Marcon A, Zenone M, Boniface V, Sigfstead S, Murdoch B, Caulfield T. The marketing of “stem cell” supplements on Amazon.com: Assessing alignment with regulatory frameworks in the United States and Canada. Stem Cell Reports. 2025;102675. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stemcr.2025.102675

  • Eisenkraft Klein D, Zenone M, Kesselheim A. Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists and Pay-Per-Click Direct-to-Consumer Advertising. JAMA Network Open. 2025;8;(10):e2538718. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.38718

  • Chow K, Zenone M, Kenworthy N, Merid B, Maani N. Generating opposition to universal health care policies in the United States: An analysis of private health industry advertising on Meta platforms. PLOS Glob Public Health. 2025;5(7): e0003244. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0003244

  • Harries B, Zenone M, Hartwell G. Feeling lonely in the online crowd: what TikTok tells us about young people and loneliness. Health Promotion International. 2025;40(4)4:daaf094.  https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daaf094

  • Zenone M, Harries B, Hartwell G. The Promotion of Oral Nicotine Pouches for Non-Smoking Cessation Purposes on TikTok. Nicotine & Tobacco Research. 2025;ntaf024. https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntaf024

  • Turuba R, Zenone M, Srivastava R, et al. Do you have depression? A summative content analysis of mental health-related content on TikTok. DIGITAL HEALTH. 2025;11. doi: 10.1177/20552076241297062

  • Zenone M, Marcon A, Kenworthy N, van Schalkwyk M, Caulfield T, Hartwell G, Maani N. Google allows advertisers to target the sensitive informational queries of cancer patients. Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) Misinformation Review. 2024. https://doi.org/10.37016/mr-2020-170

  • Zenone M, Kenworthy N. Should WHO partner with TikTok to combat misinformation? The Lancet. 2024;404(10467):2046 - 2047 doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(24)02429-2 

  • Zenone M, van Schalkwyk M, Hartwell G, Caulfield T, Maani N. Selling Misleading “Cancer Cure” Books on Amazon: Systematic Search on Amazon.com and Thematic Analysis. J Med Internet Res. 2024;26:e56354 doi: 10.2196/56354

  • Zenone M, Snyder J, van Schalkwyk M. et al. Alternative cancer clinics’ use of Google listings and reviews to mislead potential patients. BJC Rep. 2024;2(55). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44276-024-00071-9

  • Snyder J, Zenone M, Grewal A, Caulfield T
    Crowdfunding for Complementary and Alternative Cancer Treatments in Tijuana, Mexico: Content Analysis. JMIR Cancer. 2024;10:e52018
    doi: 10.2196/52018

  • Turuba R, Cormier W, Zimmerman R, Ow N, Zenone M, Quintana Y, Jenkins E, Ben-David S, Raimundo A, Marcon AR, Mathias S, Henderson J, Barbic S
    Exploring How Youth Use TikTok for Mental Health Information in British Columbia: Semistructured Interview Study With Youth. JMIR Infodemiology. 2024;4:e53233. doi: 10.2196/53233

  • Hartwell G, Gill M, Zenone M, McKee M. Smartphones, social media, and teenage mental health. BMJ. 2024;385. doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2024-079828