Dr. Carlsson is a geriatrician at the William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin, where she treats veterans with dementia and memory issues. She is the Clinical Core leader in the Wisconsin ADRC. She also serves as director of the Wisconsin Alzheimer's Institute.
Dr. Carlsson's research focuses on the effects of vascular risk factors and their treatments on cognition and biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease in persons at risk for dementia. Vascular risk factors in midlife, such as high cholesterol and elevated blood pressure, have been associated with an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease decades later. It is unknown, however, whether treating vascular risk factors will reduce the risk of dementia.