About 

Sachiko Terui joined the Memphis Communication faculty in 2016. Her research revolves around the intersection of health communication, cross-cultural communication, and interpersonal communication, with two main focus areas. The first focuses on the ways in which language and culture (a) influence the process and meanings of messages in health context, and (b) shape individuals' experiences of illness and disease. Her second line of research focuses on the ways in which individuals manage health and illness in interpersonal exchanges (e.g., between patients and medical providers, and between patients and their family members). Along with these lines of research, her scholarship addresses communicative challenges communicative challenges pertaining to linguistic and cultural aspects of health and health management, communication interventions, health literacy, and health disparities experienced among marginalized and underserved populations. Her recent projects center in interdisciplinary collaborations, including communities and healthcare organizations.

Education

Ph.D., University of Oklahoma
M.A., University of Louisiana at Monroe
B.A., Aichi Prefectural University (Japan)

Research Interests

Health Disparities
Cross-Cultural Care
Language and Social Interactions

Professional

Instructor, Asian Languages and Literatures, University of Minnesota Twin-Cities, 2008-2012
Interpreter and Translator (Japanese and English), Chunichi Shimbum, a daily newspaper in Japan with a circulation of more than 4 million, 2003-2006

Recent Publications

Terui, S., Huang, J., Goldsmith, J.V., Blackard, D., Yang, Y., & Miller, C.H. (in press). Promoting transformative community change for equitable health: Peer training and intervention for pre-exposure HIV prophylaxis. Journal of Health Communication: International Perspectives. doi: 10.1080/10810730.2020.1730526 [5-year IF (2018): 2.596]

Terui, S., Goldsmith, J.V., Huang, J., & Williams, J. (in press). Health literacy and health communication training for underserved patients and informal family caregivers. Journal of Health Care for Poor and Underserved. [5-year IF (2018): 1.308]

Terui. S., Goldsmith., J.V., Daugherty, C.D., & Briscoe, J.R. (in press). A student-driven HIV/PrEP communication intervention using a modified social network strategy. Journal of American College Health. doi:10.1080/07448481.2019.1664554 [5-year IF (2018): 2.215]

Terui, S. & Hsieh, E. (2020). Managing communicative challenges and interactional dilemma: Native speakers' responses to non-native speakers' lack of understanding. Discourse Processes, 57(1), 48-65. doi:10.1080/0163853X.2019.1624333 [5-year IF (2018): 1.812]

Goldsmith., J., Wittenberg, E., Terui, S., Kim, H., & Umi, S. (2019). Providing support for caregiver communication burden: Assessing the Plain Language Planner resource as a nursing intervention. Seminars in Oncology Nursing. 35(4), 354-358. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soncn.2019.06.007 [5-year IF (2018): 1.412]

Goldsmith, J. & Terui, S. (2019). Mental health literacy at the House of Grace: Advancing relational health literacy as a conceptual model. In Lippert, L., Hall., R., Miller-Ott, A., & Davis, D. C. (Eds.), Communicating mental health: History, concepts, & perspectives. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.

Goldsmith, J. & Terui, S. (2018). Family oncology caregivers and relational health literacy. Challenges. doi:10.3390/challe9020035

Goldsmith, J., Terui, S., Huang, J., & Wittenberg, E. (2018). Hispanic and African American oncology family caregivers and the Family Caregiver Communication Tool. Journal of Cancer Education, 33(suppl 1), 543-544. [5-year IF (2018): 1.767]

Terui, S. (2017). Conceptualizing the pathways and processes between language barriers and health disparities: Review, synthesis, and extension. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 19(1), 215-224. doi:10.1007/s10903-015-0322-x [5-year IF (2018): 1.747]

Recent Grant Activity

Water Safety Research Community. Community of Research Scholars Grant, Sponsored by the Division of Research & Innovation, University of Memphis, TN. Role: Co-investigator. Period: 11/01/2019-12/31/2020. $5,000

Developing a Health Literacy Assessment Tool for HIV Patients without Functional Literacy. Faculty Research Seed Grant, Sponsored by the College of Communication and Fine Arts, University of Memphis, TN. Role: Lead Principal Investigator. Period: 11/01/2018-5/31/2020. $5,000

Promoting Transformative Community Change for Equitable Health: Peer Training and Intervention for Pre-exposure HIV Prophylaxis. Sponsored by Waterhouse Family Institute. Role: Lead Principal Investigator. Period: 07/01/2018-4/30/2020. $10,000

Health Spaces and Technologies Research Community. Community of Research Scholars Grant, Sponsored by the Division of Research & Innovation, University of Memphis, TN. Role: Co-investigator. Period: 11/01/2018-12/31/2019. $2,500

Honors and Awards

2020 Dean's Outstanding Research Award, College of Communication and Fine Arts, University of Memphis

2018 Top paper, Training and Development Division, National Communication Association, Salt Lake City, UT. Terui, S., Goldsmith, J., Umi, S., Dale, L., & Huang., J. Creating a Health Communication Training Workshop for Patients and Caregivers Based on COMFORT.