Dr. René Dailey (Ph. D., University of California, Santa Barbara, 2005) is interested in communication in families and dating relationships.

Regarding family communication, her research focuses on how family members help or hinder weight management. Much of her work has focused on romantic partner support of weight loss. Regarding dating relationships, she investigates “on-again/off-again” relationships and how communication and relational quality in these cyclical relationships differs from other dating relationships. Her current research focuses on conflict and aggression in these relationships, and she has recently authored a book summarizing the research on these relationships: On-again, Off-again Relationships: Navigating (In)Stability in Romantic Relationships (Cambridge). Her work has appeared in journals such as Communication Monographs, Human Communication Research, and Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.