Titles with Aresta: Talking Cancer (English)
Dr. Sparks is a highly regarded teacher-scholar whose published work spans more than 100 research articles and scholarly book chapters, and is the author and editor of more than ten books in the areas of communication, health, and aging with a distinct focus on cancer communication science. Dr. Sparks is Editor of Communication Research Reports and serves on several editorial boards including Journal of Applied Communication Research and Communication Quarterly. She has organized a number of innovative research symposia in the cancer communication science (aging, health literacy) domain at both GMU and Chapman. Dr. Sparks’ research and teaching interests on intergroup (intergenerational, intercultural) communication and aging approaches merge with her research in health, risk, and crisis communication domains including provider-patient and family relationships and decision-making, breaking bad news, health literacy, health organizations, interpersonal based health campaigns, communicating about (bio)terrorism, and communicating relevant messages when information is uncertain during periods of health risk.
Dr. Sparks” distinct focus from the broader research area of health communication to cancer communication science first emerged 10 years ago as she was caring for her father who died after a year long battle with lung cancer. The personal experiences the family dealt with in navigating the unknown world of cancer within the health care environment were informed by her research, but nonetheless still very difficult on many levels. Since that time, Dr. Sparks has devoted her life to helping health care providers, patients and their family members to achieve better health outcomes through research, teaching as well as training and development seminars on effective health care communication across the continuum of health care from detection, diagnosis, and treatment to issues of survivorship and end-of-life. Dr. Sparks lives in Orange County, California with her husband Daniele Struppa and three daughters Elena, Arianna, and Athena.
Dr. Sparks” distinct focus from the broader research area of health communication to cancer communication science first emerged 10 years ago as she was caring for her father who died after a year long battle with lung cancer. The personal experiences the family dealt with in navigating the unknown world of cancer within the health care environment were informed by her research, but nonetheless still very difficult on many levels. Since that time, Dr. Sparks has devoted her life to helping health care providers, patients and their family members to achieve better health outcomes through research, teaching as well as training and development seminars on effective health care communication across the continuum of health care from detection, diagnosis, and treatment to issues of survivorship and end-of-life. Dr. Sparks lives in Orange County, California with her husband Daniele Struppa and three daughters Elena, Arianna, and Athena.
