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Cornell, Samuel

Samuel Cornell

PhD Candidate in Public Health & Community Medicine, School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney
Samuel Cornell investigates how social media platforms and digital culture shape perceptions of risk and influence real-world behaviour. His work examines digital harm, influencer culture, and the limitations of traditional public-health communication in fast-moving online environments.

Before entering academia, Samuel Cornell trained as a Mine Clearance Diver with the Royal Navy, gaining direct, lived experience in high-stakes risk environments. This early exposure to operational risk and decision-making informs his perspective on how individuals interpret danger, respond to uncertainty, and manage competing pressures — themes that now underpin much of his research.

Samuel Cornell completed a Bachelor of Science in Physiological Science at the University of Bristol, a rigorous natural-science degree encompassing physiology, neuroscience, biochemistry, and quantitative methods. This training provided a strong empirical foundation for analysing human biology, behavioural responses, and risk.

He went on to complete a Master of Science by Research at the University of South Wales, working closely with clinicians — including GPs, cardiologists, and public-health practitioners. This experience further strengthened his ability to translate research into real-world clinical contexts.

Samuel Cornell is now a PhD Candidate in Public Health and Community Medicine at UNSW Sydney, where he studies how social media encourages and amplifies risky behaviours with health consequences. His research integrates biological, clinical, and public-health perspectives to better understand why online environments so often undermine effective risk communication.

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