I am a medical anthropologist specializing in the culture of medicine in the United States. My recent work has explored how patients, families, and healthcare providers navigate social and ethical challenges raised by new developments in medical technology, public health policy, and law. I am especially interested in the role of language in medicine and in the relationships among patients, families, and clinicians in managing illness and healthcare. As a Professor in UNC’s Department of Social Medicine and core faculty in the Center for Bioethics, I am also strongly committed to interdisciplinary inquiry in the medical humanities, bioethics, and and socio-legal studies.