Maria Venetis

Maria Venetis’ research interests lie at the intersection of interpersonal and health communication; her research examines how individuals talk about health and the outcomes of these conversations. She examines patient-provider interactions and communicative practices within medical visits such as the connection between patient and companion question asking and stating of psychosocial outcomes such as satisfaction and adherence. Other work identifies specific patient disclosure strategies when sharing this medically relevant, non-visible, and potentially stigmatizing information. Venetis also studies how relational partners manage ongoing communication concerning cancer and other non-visible health conditions. Recent research includes communicative behaviors that promote resilience among relational partners and supportive communication during cancer care.

Publications:

• Venetis, M. K., *Bontempo, A. C., Catona, D., Buckley de Meritens, A., Devine, K., & Greene, K. (2023, online ahead of print). Dilemmas and strategy when companion participation during appointments differs from patient and companion expectations. Health Communication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2023.2190244

• Venetis, M. K., *Shields, A., *Rawat, M., & Seth, J. (2023). Predicting menstruation-related topic avoidance between mothers and daughters in two regions of northern India. Western Journal of Communication, 87(4), 647-667. https://doi.org/10.1080/10570314.2022.2141072

• Friley, L. B., & Venetis, M. K. (2021). Sexual orientation and gender identity disclosure in the medical context. In I. West, E. Cram, F. Dhaenens, P Lannutti, & G. Yep (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Queer Studies and Communication. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Media Appearances/Speaking Engagements:

• Venetis, M. K., Hull, S. J., *Nolan-Cody, H., *Austin, J., *Shields, L., *Salas, M, & *Mai, J. (2024, April). Characterizing equity in patient-provider interactions with patients of color: A systematic literature review. [Paper presentation]. Kentucky Conference on Health Communication, Lexington, KY, United States.

• Venetis, M. K. (2024, February 23). Enacting and generating resilience among dyads managing stressors. Presentation given at the Pennsylvania State University Department of Communication Arts and Sciences Spring 2024 Colloquium Series.

• Venetis, M. K. (2023, November 20). Interprofessional communication in healthcare. Interprofessional education and communication in health care: Experiences and challenges in Greece and the U.S.A. 2nd Joint e-Symposium between Rutgers University and Democritus University of Thrace.

Previous Organizations: 

• CommUnity Health Action Lab

Accomplishments:

• 2023 Central States Communication Association John T. Warren Mentorship Award

• 2023 Rutgers University, Department of Communication Service Award

• 2021 School of Communication and Information, Outstanding Faculty Support of PhD Students Award, Honorable Mention

Upcoming Projects:

• Venetis, M. K., & Hull, S. (in progress). Diversity, equity, and inclusion in patient engagement in healthcare interactions. Patient Education and Counseling.

The focus of the CommUnity Health Action Lab (directed by Dr. Shawnika Hull and me) is to improve equity in healthcare interactions.