Staff: Romy RW, PhD
Romy RW, PhD
Cancer Research Training Award Fellow
Romy RW, Ph.D., was a Cancer Research Training Award postdoctoral fellow in the Basic Biobehavioral and Psychological Sciences Branch and the Health Communication and Informatics Research Branch of the Behavioral Research Program from August 2022 to August 2023.
Dr. RW's research focuses on using communicative and psychological strategies to promote health equity for underserved populations. Dr. RW is interested in understanding the interrelationships among health communication, cultural identity, and mediated technologies, especially looking at the roles and effects of racial identity and health communication on marginalized patients' physical and psychological health outcomes.
Dr. RW earned her Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Maryland at College Park. During graduate school, she was an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education research fellow with the Food and Drug Administration, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. For her dissertation, she conducted a health intervention to test the effects of computer-mediated communication and intergroup interactions on mental health outcomes.
"Where are they now?": Following up with past BRP fellows
Updated August 2023
Current Title
Tenure Track Assistant Professor
Loyola Marymount University
How has your BRP fellowship influenced your career?
The knowledge and experience gained from this fellowship have greatly strengthened and refined my skills as an independent researcher. I am now better equipped to navigate the landscape of academia, including securing research funding, managing projects, and collaborating effectively with colleagues and others.
Describe a favorite memory or two from your fellowship experience.
I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to engage with my mentors during the BRP fellowship. We had a branch retreat, Dr. Paige Green opened up her place for us, and we brought our dogs to hang out with Dr. Todd Horowitz's dog. All of these created memories that will last a lifetime.
Describe your current position, your current organization, and what you do.
I am an assistant professor within the Communication Studies Department at Loyola Marymount University. In this role, my responsibilities encompass teaching and mentoring undergraduate students, conducting research in my field of expertise, and actively participating in various service activities within the department and the university communities.
Awards, Honors, and Recognitions
- Diversity Career Development Program, 2022
Publications from Fellowship Work
- Wang C, Tang N, Zhen D, Wang XR, Zhang J, Cheong Y, Zhu Q. Need for cognitive closure and trust towards government predicting pandemic behavior and mental health: comparing United States and China. Curr Psychol. 2022 Jul 5:1-14.
- Wang X, Nan X, Stanly S, Wang Y, Waks L, Broniatowski D. Emotion and Virality of Food Safety Risk Communication Messages on Social Media. Emotion and Virality of Food Safety Risk Communication Messages on Social Media.
- Qin Y, Wang X, Namkoong K. A meta-analysis of the overall effect of mHealth physical activity interventions for weight loss and the moderating effect of behavioral change theories, techniques, and mobile technologies. Mobile Media & Communication, 10(2), 337–359.
- Dias S, Wang XR. Exploring participants' experiences of mental health and stigma in American colleges. J Am Coll Health. 2021 Jul 22:1-11.
- Wang X, Joyce N, Namkoong K. Investigating College Students' Intentions to Seek Online Counseling Services. Communication Studies, 71(4):550-567.
Current and/or past BRP mentors include Amanda Acevedo, Nicole Senft Everson and Rebecca Ferrer.
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