University at Buffalo, The State University of New York

Overview

The Department of Communication at the University at Buffalo trains M.A. and Ph.D. students in the conduct of social science research in human communication theories and processes, with the opportunity to specialize in health communication. As such, students take lectures and seminars in theory development, research methods, advanced statistics, and cognate areas in communication. Faculty and graduate students maintain interdisciplinary linkages with the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Women and Children’s Hospital, School of Medicine, School of Public Health and Health Professions, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, among others. Recent research includes patient-provider communication, health campaigns, entertainment education, cancer clinical trials, and adoption of electronic records in hospital and healthcare settings. The program is designed to prepare students for post-doctoral work or positions in government or academia. Teaching and research assistantships available.

Faculty

Graduate Faculty involved in Health Communication Research

• Thomas Hugh Feeley, Ph.D., University at Buffalo
  Research areas: Applications of social and behavioral theories of persuasion in health and organizational contexts.
  Teaching areas: persuasion, health campaign, research methods
• Lance Rintamaki, Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  Research areas: Intersection of communication theory and health behavior outcomes, including (a) communication and risky behaviors and (b) stress and coping in chronic illness.
  Teaching areas: patient-provider communication, stigma, health communication
• Arun Vishwanath, Ph.D., University at Buffalo
  Research Areas: Diffusion, acceptance and utilization of health IT innovations particularly electronic health records, patient health records, and ePrescribing systems.Teaching Areas: diffusion of innovations, research methods
• Hua (Helen) Wang, Ph.D., University of Southern California
  Research areas: Promoting the well-being of individuals, communities, organizations, and societies at large using entertainment-education interventions, innovative technologies, and transmedia storytelling.
  Teaching areas: entertainment-education for health promotion and social change, information and communication technologies for health and social services
• Z. Janet Yang, Ph.D., Cornell University
  Research areas: Health and cancer communication with diverse populations, risk-related information seeking and decision making in the domains of science, health, and environmental issues.
  Teaching areas: health communication, health campaign, risk communication, public understanding of science

Courses

• Health Communication
• Provider-Patient Communication
• Social Support
• Health Behavior, Risk, and Communication Theories
• Science Communication
• Health Promotion and Campaigns
• Entertainment-Education and Social Marketing
• Information and Communication Technologies for Wellness Promotion

Research

• Interventions and campaigns to increase solid organ donation (Funding: HRSA Division of Transplantation, PI: Thomas Feeley)
• Physician Adoption of Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) (Funding: NIH-Agency for Health Research & Quality, PI: Arun Vishwanath)
• Barriers to the Adoption of Electronic Medical Rcords (Funding: Buffalo Academy of Medicine, PI: Arun Vishwanath)
• Patient Provider Communication about Colorectal Cancer Screening (Funding: New York State Department of Health, PI: Thomas Feeley)
• HIV Patient Perceptions of Healthcare Personnel (Funding: Veteran’s Administration Health Services Research & Development, PI: Lance Rintamaki)
• Social Barriers and Facilitators of Treatment Adherence among Veterans Living with HIV (Funding: Veteran’s Administration Health Services Research & Development, PI: Lance Rintamaki)
• Stigmatizing Interactions Reported by Transgender Adults (Funding:NCSU, Co-I: Lance Rintamaki)
• Addressing Racial Disparities in Influenza Prevention (Funding: CDC, Collaborator: Lance Rintamaki)
• Problematic Provider-Patient Interactions Reported by Gay and Bisexual Men (Funding: Medical School of Wisconsin, Co-I: Lance Rintamaki)

Contact

Dr. Z. Janet Yang

Department of Communication
University at Buffalo, North Campus
359 Baldy Hall
Buffalo, New York 14260-1020

Email: zyang5@buffalo.edu

Phone: 716-645-1169
Fax: 716-645-2086
University website: http://www.buffalo.edu/

Departmental Website(s): http://www.communication.buffalo.edu/