Wayne A. Beach

Wayne Beach, PhD, is professor in the School of Communication at San Diego State University, and director of the Center for Communication, Health, & the Public Good. His conversation analytic research focuses on ordinary conversations and diverse institutional interactions, including oncology and preventive clinical encounters.

He is the author of Conversations About Illness (1996), A Natural History of Family Cancer (2009), and editor of Handbook of Patient-Provider Interactions (2013). His translations for the public good include When Cancer Calls…, a professional theatrical production adapted from naturally occurring family phone calls, and A Journey Through Breast Cancer, a documentary film now airing on PBS affiliate networks.