Melinda Villagran

Melinda Villagran, Ph.D.
PROFESSOR AND DIRECTOR OF TRANSLATIONAL HEALTH RESEARCH INITIATIVE
Department of Communication Studies
College of Fine Arts and Communication
512.245.2156
mvilla@txstate.edu

Areas of Interest: Health Communication, Patient-Provider Interaction, Organizational Communication, Medication Adherence, Community-based Health Interventions, Veterans, LGBTQIA

Dr. Melinda Villagran teaches courses in health communication and organizational communication. Her program of research examines barriers to effective health interactions organizational and community contexts. She is especially interested in the impact of physician-patient interactions on positive health outcomes for diverse patients and families. She is currently the Principal Investigator on two federally-funded grants from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to deliver health interventions to combat alcohol-related health risk behaviors among Latinos, Veterans, and LGBTQIA young adults

Dr. Villagran has authored two books and over 60 peer-reviewed publications on communication topics. She has served as a guest editor for national and international journals, won several top paper awards, and has served as a reviewer and editorial board member for regional, national, and international journals. Her work has appeared in peer-reviewed journals including Communication Monographs, Journal of Applied Communication Research, Communication Education, Health Communication, the Journal of Graduate Medical Education, and Patient Education and Counseling. She has been quoted as a communication expert in numerous regional and national media outlets, including the Washington Post, Washington Examiner, AARP Magazine (bilingual edition), ABC News, and the Wisconsin Law Review.