Department of Family Medicine
Research Division Mission
The mission of the Department of Family Medicine Research Division is to advance the science of social connection, healthcare communication and application of socially just conversation analytics in healthcare redesign. We leverage our interdisciplinarity, our joy of collaborative discovery and commitment to fostering a just and compassionate world. We manifest our work in high quality peer reviewed publications, dedicated mentoring of learners, and full engagement with government, non-profit and industry funding partners to support our mission. As with good science, we welcome the opportunity to evolve as a cohesive Division as we continue to learn.
The Vermont Conversation Lab is the centerpiece of our departmental research efforts. The mission of the “VCL” is to understand and promote human connection among those affected by serious illness. Our recent research efforts focus on scalable conversation analytics for in-person and telehealth settings, and on public health interventions that support caregivers, reduce loneliness of grief, and improve serious illness communication in the routine practice of medicine. Our inter-disciplinary faculty represent several UVM Colleges, including the College of Engineering & Mathematical Sciences, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, and College of Arts & Sciences. Our inspirational learners are engaged in pre-college, undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral education within a wide range in fields of study.