Lab Members

Dr. Carey Gleason,PhD, MS

Dr. Carey Gleason, principal investigator, identifies as a white female of Northern European descent. She holds a position as a professor of Geriatrics and Gerontology at the University of Wisconsin Madison, a predominantly white academic institution in the United States.

Carey’s research attempts to mitigate health disparities in historically underrepresented groups by seeking to identify modifiable risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease in African Americans and Native Americans, promoting disease prevention and timely detection. In efforts to avoid repeating colonial research practices of both the past and present, Carey incorporates both knowledge and guidance from communities so that the research outcomes will provide a community-centered and meaningful impact. Promoting collaboration, partnership and building trust are core pillars in Carey’s research philosophy.  

Dr. Gleason acknowledges that she does not have the lived experiences of Black and Indigenous individuals. To enhance her cultural awareness, she seeks out opportunities to learn from courses, seminars, and literature and art. Still, she knows that her identity means that her scientific work will always originate from an outsider’s perspective and one of privilege. To address this limitation, she amplifies the voices of those with diverse lived experiences, bringing a range of perspectives to her research work – at all levels. This includes supporting advisory boards, hiring staff who hold marginalized identities, and mentoring the next generation of leaders. She describes herself as the placeholder. She strives to use her time in leadership and privilege to elevate future leaders who represent the communities with whom she partners. Moreover, she wants to make changes to the existing systems, decolonizing institutional policies and practices that limit inclusion of diverse lived experiences.