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Dr. Brittany Lash’s primary research interests focus on the intersections between health and interpersonal communication. A particular passion in disability studies and the communication issues surrounding individuals with disabilities has driven much of her research as she strives to give a voice to individuals within this population. Dr. Lash’s most recent works in this field focus on individuals with hearing loss and their experiences of stigma as well as how stigma complicates disability disclosure. She also has research examining how disability humor can be used as a stigma management strategy. Additional research interests include the ways in which we communicate about female body image, especially that of female athletes. She has published in several journals, including Health Communication, Communication Studies and Southern Communication Journal. She also has a book chapter examining how higher education's response to COVID-19 impacted individuals with disability in Post-Pandemic Pedagogy: A Paradigm Shift and has contributed entries to the International Encyclopedia of Health Communication as well as the Encyclopedia of Health Communication."

Research interests

• Health Communication
• Interpersonal Communication
• Individuals with Disabilities
• Stigma
• Female Athletes and Body Image

Selected publications

Lash, B. N. (2022). Managing stigma through laughter: Disability stigma & humor as a stigma management communication strategy, Communication Studies. Online publication ahead of print. https://doi.org/10.1080/10510974.2022.2102668

Lash, B. N. (2021). The pandemic and disability inclusive pedagogy: Examining the response to COVID-19 in higher education. In J. M. Valenzano III (Ed.), Post- pandemic pedagogy: A paradigm shift (pp. 149-166). Lexington Books. 

Lash, B. N., & Helme, D. W. (2020). Managing hearing loss stigma: Experiences of and responses to stigmatizing attitudes & behaviors. Southern Communication Journal, 85(5), 302-315. https://doi.org/10.1080/1041794X.2020.1820562

Lash, B. N., & Record, R. A. (2019). Designing messages to change student attitudes about general education courses: Developing the Think Beyond the Major campaign. Journal of General Education, 68(3), 263-288. https://www.muse.jhu.edu/article/762011

Beckner, B. N., & Helme, D. W. (2018). Deaf or hearing: A hard of hearing individual’s navigation between two worlds. American Annals of the Deaf, 163(3), 394-412. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26484304

Beckner, B. N., Record, R. A. (2016). Navigating the thin-ideal in an athletic world: Influence of coach communication on female athletes’ body image and health choices. Health Communication, 31(3), 364-373.

Frisby, B. N., Weber, K. D., Beckner, B. N. (2014). Participation requirements: An instructor strategy to influence student interest and learning. Communication Quarterly, 62(3), 308-322.

Helme, D. W., Lash, B. N. (2014). Campaign program strategies. In The Encyclopedia of Health. (Vol. 3, pp. 1105-1107). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.

Helme, D. W., Lash, B. N. (2014). Dual processing models: ELM & HSM. In The Encyclopedia of Health. (Vol. 1, pp. 376-378). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.

Helme, D. W., Lash, B. N. (2014). Moderating variables and audience effects. In The Encyclopedia of Health. (Vol. 2, pp. 891-893). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.

Lash, B. N. (2013). Research from the heart: Chancing labels and exposing a private identity. Health Communication, 28(4), 422-424.