Kathleen Shears

Science Writer

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Kathleen Shears is a Science Writer who works with the Research Utilization team at FHI 360 to translate public health research findings into evidence-based policies and practices. For more than 25 years, she has served as a communications advisor, writer, and editor for international health and development studies and projects.

Shears has helped develop and implement strategies to communicate the results of multinational HIV prevention trials and global HIV prevention and care initiatives. For six years, she managed communications for the FHI 360-led Male Circumcision Consortium, which supported the Kenyan government’s successful introduction of voluntary medical male circumcision for HIV prevention. She currently co-leads the communications team for the ECHO Study on hormonal contraception and HIV and serves as a writer/editor for the OPTIONS Consortium, which works to expedite and sustain access to antiretroviral-based HIV prevention products.

Before joining FHI 360, Shears served as a communications specialist for projects advancing child survival and infectious disease prevention. She was also a congressional aide specializing in health and education issues and a newspaper reporter.

Shears has a master’s degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.