Head Scientist

Michelle C. Carlson, PhD is a Professor in the Department of Mental Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a core faculty member in the Center on Aging and Health at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions and holds joint appointments in the Department of Epidemiology and the School of Nursing. Dr. Carlson studies how social engagement and lifestyle buffer the aging brain and body using wearable technology, geospatial analysis of the built environment, neuroimaging, and interventions embedded within real and simulated worlds. Dr. Carlson’s goal is to foster environments that transcend socioeconomic barriers to safely promote physical, social and cognitively enriching activity. This work will inform intervention design and social policy to delay dementia and disability, particularly in vulnerable individuals (eg., MCI, TBI) and those at elevated risk for health disparities. Dr. Carlson has published over 200 peer-reviewed papers and various chapters in top neuropsychology, gerontology, and medical journals and books. She is currently principal investigator of three R01s from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), and the Department of Defense (DoD). Dr. Michelle Carlson appears on this site in a personal capacity and is independent of their affiliation with The Johns Hopkins University and Johns Health System.