Charee M. Thompson

Charee M. Thompson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication and the Biomedical and Translational Sciences program at the University of Illinois. Her research focuses on health communication in interpersonal and patient-provider contexts, particularly addressing uncertainties in chronic, non-visible, and stigmatized illnesses. She leads the R.A.P.P.O.R.T. Lab, developing communication trainings for healthcare providers and social networks to mitigate support challenges. Dr. Thompson holds a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin and B.A./M.A. degrees from Arizona State University in Communication.

Her research examines how communication navigates uncertainties in conditions like long COVID, Black maternal health, and mental illnesses. Recent work includes a virtual reality implicit bias training module for physicians and a fall concerns scale for wheelchair/scooter users. She teaches CMN 462: Interpersonal Health Communication and collaborates across disciplines to address healthcare disparities. Her studies employ mixed-methods approaches, including longitudinal interviews and experimental designs.

Key research themes include communicative disenfranchisement, stigma management, and the role of social networks in chronic illness support. Her articles analyze healthcare provider-patient dynamics, athlete health disclosure, and the psychological impacts of financial uncertainty in healthcare. Dr. Thompson’s work bridges communication theory with practical interventions to improve healthcare equity and patient outcomes.