Profile – Lillian Morgado, Georgia State University

Lillian Morgado

Name:

Lillian Morgado

Job title:

Research Coordinator

Place of work / study:

Georgia State University

Area of Research:

I work on qualitative research. Current interests include the criminal justice system and dementia, data sharing between dementia researchers, and the ethics and logistics of biomarker disclosure

How is your work funded:

I currently work on projects funded NIH, ADDI, AFTD, Alzheimer’s Association

Tell us a little about yourself:

I got interested in health policy and dementia after working as a paralegal at an elder care law firm– I saw how much dementia impacted people’s lives and how ill-prepared systems are to help them. After obtaining my MPH, I worked as an ORISE fellow at the CDC as the policy liaison for the Healthy Ageing Branch. I am currently working as a research coordinator at Georgia State University. Starting in August, I will begin my PhD in Health Policy. I hope to research the interactions between structural societal factors and dementia.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself:

I’ve taught my cats to give fist bumps in exchange for treats.

Why did you choose to work in dementia?

I got interested in dementia after working as a paralegal at an elder care law firm. There I helped families navigate how to get legal and care help for their loved ones and pay for it. It was great to be able to help people through such difficult times in their lives, but I felt that the system was unnecessarily difficult to navigate. I chose to work in dementia research to help improve those systems.

What single piece of advise would you give to an early career researcher?

Create an ‘elevator pitch’ for yourself. It’s good to have a short intro ready explaining who you are and what you do for conferences and other professional situations.

What book are you reading right now? Would you recommend it?

Jane Eyre. I would definitely recommend it– it is surprisingly relatable for a book written almost 200 years ago.

Favourite film of all time?

Cinderella (1997) starring Brandy

Favourite ways to unplug and unwind?

Puttering around the garden and ripping out english ivy

What’s the best decision you ever made?

Applying for a GRA position during my MPH

What’s your favourite vacation spot?

Lisbon

Do you collect anything?

Books on gardening and plant identification

Can we find you on social media?

Find Lillian on LinkedIn

@lillianmorgado.bsky.social