Changing the Soil,
Not Judging the Flowers
The REACH Lab is guided by Camara Jones' Gardener's Tale, an allegory illustrating how inequities in health and society arise not from inherent differences between people, but from unequal opportunity. Like seeds planted in depleted soil, individuals facing adversity are not the problem; the conditions themselves are. The allegory maps structural, interpersonal, and internalized barriers onto a garden, arguing that flourishing is determined by the environment in which one grows, not by who they are.
We apply this lens broadly: chronic stress, trauma, discrimination, socioeconomic disadvantage, and other forms of adversity that accumulate across a lifetime. Our research examines how these environments shape the aging brain, contribute to dementia risk, and create barriers to care. We work to understand the soil so we can change it.
We use cognitive assessment, digital technologies, biomarkers, and community-engaged approaches to conduct this work, with a strong commitment to equity, cultural responsiveness, and translating science into meaningful impact for the communities who need it most.
