Marie Haverfield

Marie Haverfield serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Studies within San José State University's College of Social Sciences. Her academic work bridges communication theory with practical healthcare applications, focusing on how interpersonal communication patterns impact health outcomes and family resilience.

Dr. Haverfield's research program examines features of interpersonal communication that enhance individual health and well-being in both health and family contexts. In healthcare settings, she explores patient-provider-caregiver communication and its impact on mental and physical health outcomes, healthcare utilization, and medication adherence. Within family systems, particularly those considered high-risk such as those with parental substance misuse, she investigates how communication patterns influence offspring developmental outcomes including mental health, substance use behaviors, and resilience. Her methodological approach combines qualitative and quantitative techniques, reflecting her commitment to mixed-methods research.

Recent publication trends reveal Dr. Haverfield's growing focus on relationship-centered care in healthcare settings, particularly in virtual environments and cross-cultural contexts. Her work increasingly addresses health disparities, with significant attention to anti-Black racism in medical settings and communication strategies to promote equity. The pandemic has also shaped her research trajectory, leading to international comparative work on family rituals and resilience during global crises. Her publications consistently demonstrate interdisciplinary collaboration across communication, medicine, psychology, and public health.

Dr. Haverfield actively involves students in her research program, providing undergraduate and graduate students with opportunities to contribute to data collection, analysis, and publication. She has incorporated student work into her Advanced Family Communication course, resulting in student co-authorship on manuscripts. Her community partnerships include collaborations with the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Stanford University School of Medicine, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, and Al-Anon World Services.

Current major projects include her Co-Investigator role in the Presence for Racial Justice study, which partners with community clinics serving predominantly Black patients to develop educational programming addressing anti-Black racism in medicine. As Principal Investigator, she leads an international survey examining family rituals and resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic across the U.S. and Israel, with findings expected to inform cultural differences in family definition and ritual behaviors associated with greater resilience.