Kirk is currently principal investigator on 2 projects investigating policy development and risk communication in disease outbreaks. Her research on persuasive communication about risks from and responses to Zika investigates how public health communication practices can be strengthened to improve public understanding, acceptance, and response during future infectious disease outbreaks through improved insights into current communication efforts and messages, public knowledge, and public values relevant to the Zika outbreak. Another research project investigates how decisions on Ebola policies were made at the state level and what factors beyond CDC guidelines played the most significant role in shaping state and local policy.