Contact Information
702 South Wright St
M/C 456
Urbana, IL 61801
Research Areas
Research Interests
- interpersonal and health communication
- patient-provider communication
- uncertainty, stigma, contested illness, illness work
Research Description
I study heath communication in interpersonal and patient-provider contexts, focusing on the role communication plays in how people navigate the uncertainties associated with conditions that are chronic, non-visible, not well understood, underfunded, and associated with stigma. My first line of research theorizes about uncertainty in relationships, often from the perspective of social network members and including those living with chronic illness. My second research area involves the development, delivery, and assessment of theoretically grounded communication trainings for social network members and health care providers to overcome the support and care challenges associated with uncertainty.
Education
University of Texas at Austin, Communication, Ph.D.
Arizona State University, Communication, B.A., M.A.
Courses Taught
CMN 462: Interpersonal Health Communication
Additional Campus Affiliations
Professor, Communication
Professor, Biomedical and Translational Sciences
Recent Publications
Babu, S., Thompson, C. M., & Haque, Z. (2026). Negotiating Multiple Cultures of Care: South Asian Women’s Meanings and Dilemmas Related to Health Talk. Health communication. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2026.2625982
Gerlikovski, E., & Thompson, C. M. (2026). Heteronormativity as Hegemonic Ideology: LGBTQ+ Individuals’ Experiences with Communicative Disenfranchisement in the Family. Journal of Family Communication, 26(1), 41-60. https://doi.org/10.1080/15267431.2025.2583529
Kerr, A. M., Atwell, M., Galiffo, S., Fernandez, A., & Thompson, C. M. (2026). Medical students' perspectives of patient-centered communication skills training during clinical education: A longitudinal mixed-methods survey study. PEC Innovation, 8, Article 100451. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pecinn.2025.100451
Mendelson, E. A., & Thompson, C. M. (2026). The Communicative Disenfranchisement of Disabled Individuals During Healthcare Appointments: Material Ramifications of Inaccessible Talk and Space. Communication Research, 53(2), 204-232. https://doi.org/10.1177/00936502251384697
Thompson, C. M., Bishop, M. J., Maurice, J. M., Gerlikovski, E. R., Mendelson, E. A., Babu, S., Alexander, T., & Cermak, D. (2026). Pilot testing of an online cultural competency training utilizing an intersectionality framework. Journal of Communication in Healthcare, 19(1), 47-55. https://doi.org/10.1080/17538068.2025.2547501