Dr. Ishan C. Williams is a tenured Professor at the University of Virginia (UVA), School of Nursing.

The broad theme guiding her research is improving the health of older adults and caregivers by understanding their healthcare needs within social, cultural, and geographical contexts. Her research has been published in various peer-reviewed journals (e.g., Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, Journal of Applied Gerontology, Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health), and is an associate editor for the Journal of Applied Gerontology. 

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Dr. Williams was also recently the president of the Southern Gerontological Society, who teaches health policy, evidence-based practice, health promotion and population health, and culture and diversity courses – studies quality of life and healthcare among older adults and their family caregivers, with a particular eye on vulnerable populations. Her current research focuses on recruitment science to raise awareness and increase accessibility to those most at risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. She also collaborates with colleagues on work focused on understanding the ethical and trust concerns with artificial intelligence (AI) in medical care, while helping to ensure the data has appropriate representation and as little bias as possible. 

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Williams earned a degree in psychology at UNC Chapel Hill, a MS and a PhD in human development and family studies at UNC Greensboro before completing a postdoctoral fellowship at UNC Chapel Hill’s Institute on Aging. A member of the National Hartford Centers for Gerontological Excellence, a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America, one of AARP’s Public Policy Institute Roundtable members, and Williams serves on the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia’s Research Commission for the Virginia Department of Health.