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Soroya Julian McFarlane

Assistant Professor

Contact Info

Office:
602 Caldwell Hall
Office Hours:
Wed/Fri 11:30-12:30 pm; 2:45-3:45pm (Zoom upon request);
Schedule a meeting: https://calendly.com/soroyajmcfarlane

Soroya Julian McFarlane (Ph.D., University of Miami) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at the University of Georgia. Her research focuses on designing and evaluating communication interventions that address health disparities at the community level. Dr. McFarlane’s research agenda is driven by understanding how culture influences health, and how communication interventions that translate science for diverse populations might be effective in reducing health disparities. Her recent research has been on women’s sexual and reproductive health, with the aim of (1) expanding theoretical understanding of culturally-targeted messaging and interventions, and  (2) understanding the impact of media, innovation and participatory approaches. She also leads and collaborates with US-based researchers in the area of clinical trial communication, with a special focus on vulnerable and minority populations. 

Dr. McFarlane is the PI of the COmmunicatioN for Community Health and (shared) Understanding of Science (CONCHUS) lab, which facilitates dialogue with underserved communities to design and evaluate interventions that promote health. Her research has been published in major communication and public health journals including: Health Communication, Journal of Health CommunicationJournal of Intercultural Communication Research; Culture, Sexuality and Health; and Journal of Medical Internet Research: Public Health and Surveillance.

You can learn more about Dr. McFarlane's CONCHUS Lab here

Before joining as faculty at UGA, Dr. McFarlane was a practitioner in health communication and worked for government, NGOs and international organizations such as the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO). She speaks Spanish as a second language.

Other Affiliations:
Research Interests:

health disparities; health communication; message design, community engaged research; campaigns and interventions - design and evaluation; clinical trials; new biomedical preventive technologies

Selected Publications:

McFarlane, S.J., Morgan, S.E., Carcioppolo, N. (2022). Lessons Learned from the "Goodie Box": A Message Design Study Developed and Evaluated in Community Settings for Cervical Cancer Prevention. Frontiers in Oncology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2022.935704 

Wright, K., McFarlane, S.J., Francis, D. (2022). When race and agency collide: Examining pregnant Black women’s experiences in healthcare. Journal of Applied Communication Research Methods. https://doi.org/10.1080/00909882.2022.2083431 

McFarlane, S.J., Occa A., Peng, W., Awonuga, O*. & Morgan, S.E. (2021). Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) to Enhance Participation of Racial/Ethnic Minorities in Clinical Trials: A 10-Year Systematic Review, Health Communicationhttps://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2021.1943978  

McFarlane, S.J., Morgan, S.E., Schlumbrecht, M. (2021). Acceptability of a Multicomponent, Community-based, HPV Self-test Intervention among Jamaican women. Cancer Causes & Control. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-021-01406-4 

McFarlane, S.J., Morgan, S.E. (2020). Evaluating culturally-targeted fear appeal messages for HPV self-sampling among Jamaican women: A qualitative formative research study. Health Communication. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2020.1723047

McFarlane, S.J., Kim, S., Kirch Schneider, K., Dubey, S. (2019). Cultural factors influencing teenage pregnancy in Jamaica. Culture, Sexuality and Health. Doi https://doi.org/10.1080/13691058.2018.1529333.

McFarlane, S.J., Morgan, S.E., Occa A., Peng, W. (2019). Evaluation of clinical trial multimedia to support Hispanic cancer patients informational and decision-making needs. Journal of Cancer Education: The Official Journal of the American Association for Cancer Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-019-01606-2

View more...

Researchgate Profile

Google Scholar Profile

 

She was recently awarded:

- a Presidential Interdisciplinary Seed Grant for the THRIVE Project: Development of a Mother-centered ‘Lay Doula’ Communication Intervention to Improve Black Maternal Outcomes. 

-  a Diversity Research and Scholarship Grant as PI, with UGA student Allie Worsdale, for their project on "Precision communication alongside precision medicine: Understanding the efficacy of culturally targeted messages for LGBT populations" 

- a CSCA Federation Research Prize as Co-PI, with Dr. Kallia O. Wright (PI, Illinois College) and Dr. Diane B. Francis (Co-PI, University of Kentucky) for their project entitled: “You Ok Sis?”: A Qualitative Communication Analysis of Black Women’s Maternal Health.

Courses Regularly Taught:
Curriculum Vitae:
Articles Featuring Soroya Julian McFarlane

The University of Georgia Office of Research has announced the third round of Presidential Interdisciplinary Seed Grant awardees. These awardees include our own Dr. Soroya McFarlane as primary investigator of "The THRIVE Project: Development of a Mother-…

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