Living with Hereditary Cancer Risk:
Translating Health Communication Research to Support Previvors and Families’ Communication
and Decision Making
Marleah Dean Kruzel
Date: Thursday, January 22, 2026
Time: 3:30 PM
Location: Edna Anderson-Taylor Communication Institute, LNCO 2910
About the Talk:
Previvors—survivors with a predisposition to hereditary cancer who have not been diagnosed with cancer—face chronic uncertainty that shapes their health and family-building decisions. Drawing on my personal experiences as a BRCA2 previvor and my decade of conducting research with previvors, I will present research results illustrating how previvors manage uncertainty, make medical decisions, and communicate genetic risk information with their family members and clinicians. I will also discuss ways to translate health communication research into practice through patient engagement and science communication.
About the Speaker:
Marleah Dean Kruzel (PhD, Texas A&M University) is a professor, researcher, and speaker in healthcare communication. Her research focuses on communication of genetic risk information, has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals, and funded by the National Cancer Institute, American Cancer Society, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. The daughter of a 28-year-old breast cancer survivor and BRCA2 previvor herself, she is committed to patient engagement and science communication. For example, she participated in the CDC’s “Bring Your Brave” campaign designed to educate and inspire young women regarding breast cancer risk, frequently gives community presentations and is featured on podcasts to disseminate her about research results. Dr. Dean Kruzel is also a Scientific Advisory Board member for the non-profits FORCE and My Faulty Gene.
