Contact Information
702 South Wright Street
Urbana IL 61801
Research Areas
Biography
I am an interpersonal and health communication scholar interested in examining how individuals from invisible or marginalized populations navigate health-related uncertainty, identity negotiation, and disclosure. My work spans topics including chronic illness, weight cycling, mental health, and veterinary well-being, using mixed methodology. I seek to advance theorizing on uncertainty, identity, and disclosure while informing healthcare training practices to improve patient–provider communication.
Research Interests
Health Communication, Interpersonal Communication, Mixed Methods, Invisible Disability/Illnesses, Uncertainty, Identity, Disclosure
Education
M.S., Communication, North Carolina State University
B.A., Interpersonal, Organizational, and Rhetorical Communication, North Carolina State University
Courses Taught
Instructor of Record
- CMN 101: Public Speaking
Highlighted Publications
Mueller, K. A., & Romo, L. K. (2025). An Examination of How Individuals Manage Uncertainty Around Scoliosis. Health Communication. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2025.2594129
Romo, L., Earl, S., Mueller, K. A., Obiol, M. (2024). A qualitative model of weight cycling. Qualitative Health Research, 34(8-9), 798-814. https://doi.org/10.1177/10497323231221666
Romo, L., Kedrowicz, A., Mueller, K. A., Mayhorn, C. (2025). An examination of veterinarians' negotiation of emotional labor. Qualitative Research in Medicine & Health, 9(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.qrmh.2025.100001
Abetz, J. S., Romo, L., Mueller, K. A., Obiol, M. (2025). Exploring how weight cyclers negotiate weight-related cultural discourses. American Journal of Qualitative Research, 9(2), 1-19. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/1