Ashley Duggan, PhD, is Professor of Health Communication at Boston College and holds a professional appointment in Family Medicine research at Tufts University School of Medicine. She earned her PhD from the University of California Santa Barbara in 2003. She brings two decades of experience in research, teaching, and mentorship. Her research bridges theory, research methods, and capacity-building for relationship science and human communication in healthcare and medicine/medical education. Duggan brings interdisciplinary leadership including multiple roles with the International Association for Relationship Research (IARR), the National Communication Association (NCA), and the International Communication Association (ICA). Duggan was recently awarded the Berscheid-Hatfield Award for Distinguished Mid-Career Achievement from the International Association for Relationship Research. As a Fulbright scholar with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) University of Medicine and Health Sciences, she works with the Centre for Positive Health Sciences to connect relationship science and human communication research with lifestyle medicine and positive psychology. (Photo credit Caitlin Cunningham)