Kelsi Carolan, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Kelsi Carolan is an assistant professor at the University of Connecticut School of Social Work and a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW). Her research examines how systemic inequities shape quality of life for individuals living with chronic illness and physical disability, with particular attention to employment access, social support, disability stigma, and discrimination.

Most recently, Dr. Carolan received the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Loan Repayment Program (LRP) for Health Disparities Research award, a highly competitive honor supporting promising early-career researchers. Her study, “Investigating the effects of long-COVID on employment, family and social relationships, and mental health: Informing pathways for psychosocial intervention,” examines the far-reaching impacts of long-COVID on individuals and families, with a focus on mental health, employment, and social relationships. The project seeks to address critical gaps in knowledge while informing future psychosocial interventions and support programs.

As part of the LRP award, Dr. Carolan is also developing a future K01 grant proposal to support the creation and pilot testing of a self-management program for individuals living with long-COVID. This interdisciplinary initiative will focus on coping strategies for managing long-COVID symptoms, workplace adaptation, and caregiver support.

Before entering academia, Dr. Carolan worked as a medical social worker, where she witnessed firsthand how the social determinants of health shape individual and family experiences both within and beyond healthcare settings. These experiences inspired her commitment to advancing social justice through research and teaching that promote health equity and disability inclusion. A qualitative and mixed methods researcher, she values participatory approaches that center the expertise and lived experiences of community members.

Dr. Carolan teaches in the Individuals, Groups, and Families concentration. Her scholarship has appeared in Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, and Clinical Social Work Journal.

Dr. Carolan joined the UConn School of Social Work faculty in 2020. She earned her Ph.D. from the Boston University School of Social Work, an MSW from Boston College with a concentration in health and mental health, and a BA in music from Michigan State University.

CV