My Profile

Val Lantz-Gefroh is a nationally recognized expert in using the arts to transform communication in healthcare. Val serves as the Director of Communication Education for the Center for Compassionate Communication at UC San Diego's Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion.  Prior to UCSD, she was the founding Improvisation Director at the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science, where she has trained countless clinicians and researchers to connect with empathy and authenticity. With a background in professional theater, she designs and leads workshops that draw on improvisation, narrative, and performance to build trust and presence in medical settings. Val’s work bridges the worlds of storytelling and science to foster more humane, effective communication in healthcare.