About
Rachel graduated with a BS in Neuroscience from Michigan State University where she discovered her interest in public understanding of science, as well as health and science communication. She obtained her MA in Communication from the Ohio State University and is currently a fifth year PhD candidate in the Department of Communication at UC Davis.
Research Focus
Rachel's current research focuses on how new media can be harnessed to improve access to high quality social support for mental health related concerns. Her research involves (1) investigating individuals' current understanding of their mental health and barriers to care, (2) identifying effective strategies for receiving high quality social support, and (3) developing persuasive messages delivered through emerging technologies to improve individuals' attitudes towards and willingness to engage in support seeking. In Rachel's research, social support falls into two major categories: informal (e.g., friends, online forums) and formal, which encompasses her interest in the impact of technology on physician-patient communication.
Publications
Cabrera, L. Y., Brandt, M., McKenzie, R., & Bluhm, R. (2019). Online comments about psychiatric neurosurgery and psychopharmacological interventions: Public perceptions and concerns. Social Science & Medicine, 220, 184-192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.11.021
Khan, S., Gonzalez, T., McKenzie, R., & Feng, B. (2022). The Influence of Linguistic Agency and Causality Attribution in Support-seeking about Depression on Perceived Stigma and Support Messages. Journal of Health Communication, 27(5), 292-301. https://doi.org/10.1080/10810730.2022.2104412
Layug, A., Krishnamurthy, S., McKenzie, R., & Feng, B. (2022). The Impacts of Social Media Use and Online Racial Discrimination on Asian American Mental Health: Cross-sectional Survey in the United States During COVID-19. JMIR Formative Research, 6(9), e38589. https://doi.org/10.2196/38589
McKenzie, R. (2020). Independence and Interdependence on Social Media: The Impact of Using Mental Health Instagram Posts to Induce Self-Construals (Masters thesis, The Ohio State University). http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1590339810846625
Teaching
TA
CMN 101 Communication Theories: WQ 2024
CMN 102 Empirical Methods in Communication: FQ 2021, FQ 2022, FQ 2023, FQ 2024
CMN 120 Interpersonal Communication: WQ 2022, WQ 2023
CMN 172 Interpersonal Technologies: SQ 2022
AI
CMN 112 Theories of Persuasion: SQ 2024
CMN 172 Interpersonal Technologies: SQ 2023
CMN 102 Empirical Methods in Communication: Summer Session I 2023