I study health communication in personal and patient-provider relationships, specifically focusing on the role uncertainty plays in how people understand health. My first line of research examines how people in personal relationships navigate illness uncertainty and uncertain illnesses, primarily those conditions such as mental illness and chronic pain that are not visible and not well understood.
Current projects in this area:
- Longitudinal interview study of individuals living with Long COVID
- Weekly diary study of individuals’ uncertainty and support provision in the context of mental illness
- Development and testing of an everyday support provision training
My second research area involves improving health care through educational trainings for medical students and physicians centered on uncertainty management. My colleagues and I have developed and conducted to improve how healthcare professionals respond to uncertainty, helping professionals traverse the unknowns with curiosity and compassion rather than anxiety and fear.
Current projects in this area:
- A virtual reality-based cultural competency and implicit bias training for healthcare providers
- An uncertainty management training for residents and attendings in pediatrics
- A needs assessment of neurosurgeons’ experiences and needs managing the long-term effects of congenital hydrocephalus
When I am not researching or teaching about relationships and health, I am with my family, including my husband, Josh, and our identical twins, Estelle and Daphne. Together, we like to travel, make art, read, play Legos, and cook/bake.
R.A.P.P.O.R.T. 