University of Vermont Cancer Center Member Profile
Elise Tarbi, PhD
Assistant Professor, Nursing
Associate Member
Population Sciences and Cancer Outcomes (PSCO)
Academic Interests
Dr. Tarbi's research seeks to understand and improve serious illness communication, so that patients with advanced cancer and their families feel seen and heard. She does this through directly studying conversations, linking what actually happens in the clinical encounter with the emotional and cognitive experiences of patients, their families, and clinicians. In her work, Dr. Tarbi develops and leads innovative studies, combining traditional qualitative approaches with advances in machine learning methods, attending to the human-aspects of communication like how we discuss mortality or how we express and experience connection. The goal of her research is to move us closer to a health care system that routinely measures and prioritizes high-quality communication, ultimately improving the quality of life and quality of care for patients with cancer and their care partners.
Other Titles, Distinctions and Appointments
Notified in May 2025 that my American Cancer Society Clinician Scientist Development Grant was selected for funding; will receive award letter in Jan 2026, with the grant start date April 1, 2026.
Dr. Tarbi's research seeks to understand and improve serious illness communication, so that patients with advanced cancer and their families feel seen and heard. She does this through directly studying conversations, linking what actually happens in the clinical encounter with the emotional and cognitive experiences of patients, their families, and clinicians. In her work, Dr. Tarbi develops and leads innovative studies, combining traditional qualitative approaches with advances in machine learning methods, attending to the human-aspects of communication like how we discuss mortality or how we express and experience connection. The goal of her research is to move us closer to a health care system that routinely measures and prioritizes high-quality communication, ultimately improving the quality of life and quality of care for patients with cancer and their care partners.
Other Titles, Distinctions and Appointments
Notified in May 2025 that my American Cancer Society Clinician Scientist Development Grant was selected for funding; will receive award letter in Jan 2026, with the grant start date April 1, 2026.