Angie Perone

PhD, JD, MSW, MA, Assistant Professor

Director

Angie is a driving force behind CASAS. As Director, she brings extensive experience as an interdisciplinary scholar, licensed attorney, former nonprofit leader, and advocate for equitable aging. Her leadership guides our research, education, and policy initiatives, ensuring we address the complex needs of diverse aging communities.

Laurent Reyes

PhD, MSW, Assistant Professor, CASAS Director of Critical Gerontology

Laurent Reyes is an assistant professor in the School of Social Welfare, a scholar in the Latinx and Democracy Cluster at UC Berkeley, and a member of UCSF Emancipatory Sciences Lab. She comes to UC Berkeley from Rutgers University, where she received her MSW and PhD in Social Work with emphasis on Health & Aging and Social Work with Latine communities.

Dr. Reyes utilizes qualitative and visual methods to elevate the ongoing resistance and solidarity among BIPOC elders as they struggle to access community and health services and develop opportunities and solutions to meet community needs and improve conditions. The goal of this research is to re-imagine civic participation and shift socio-political focus and resources to support the solutions and innovations that BIPOC communities have developed across generations to survive and thrive in the context of systemic oppression and ethnoracial persecution.

Ashlee Osborne

Community Engaged Consultant

Ashlee plays a vital role in connecting CASAS with diverse communities. With a focus on cultural responsiveness, Ashlee helps ensure our research and programs are relevant and beneficial to the populations we serve.

Ashlee Osborne is a Community Engaged Consultant with a B.A. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of California, Berkeley. After serving as a student apprentice under Dr. Angie Perone and graduating in December of 2023, Ashlee joined CASAS to focus on community-centered research that addresses equitable aging practices, LGBTQ+-specific services, and healthcare rights for LGBTQ+ older adults. Her work involves developing targeted community engagement strategies, disseminating research deliverables, and building new community partnerships and collaborations across California and beyond. With a deep commitment to advocating for equitable healthcare for all, Ashlee provides unique perspectives on equitable healthcare delivery for older adults seeking to age in place. She believes that this work is essential for bridging the gap between social welfare and healthcare, as social welfare plays a crucial role in shaping healthcare infrastructure and delivery, particularly in initiatives aimed at supporting older adults and aging in place.

Tré Coldon

MSW Graduate Research Assistant

Tré supports CASAS’ research initiatives, bringing their expertise in social work and a commitment to social justice. Their work contributes to our understanding of the social factors that influence the well-being of older adults.

Leixuri Urrutia-Pujana

LL.M. in Human Rights Law, M.Sc. in Gender Studies, Doctoral Researcher in Human Rights Law

Visiting Scholar and PhD researcher

Leixuri brings a global perspective to CASAS, enriching our understanding of aging services through their international research experience. Their contributions help inform our work on a broader scale.

Leixuri Urrutia-Pujana is a doctoral researcher specializing in Human Rights Law and aging with a particular interest in how organizational policies in nursing homes affect the rights of residents. Her research explores the intersection of caregiving, long-term care systems, and legal frameworks, particularly the challenges faced by vulnerable groups and minorities. Leixuri’s work aims to improve living conditions and legal protections for both residents and caregivers. She is committed to advocating for more inclusive policies that support the most marginalized individuals within caregiving systems, striving to create more equitable and supportive environments.

Mo’e Yaisikana

MSW, Doctoral Student

PhD Graduate Student Researcher

Mo’e Yaisikana is a member of Cou (Indigenous Taiwanese) and a doctoral student at the School of Social Welfare. His intellectual interests concern care equity for Taiwan’s older adults, examine the construction and hindrance of care policies and service delivery system and aim to unravel a comprehensive, systematic, intersecting dynamic form of power to help explain challenges for Indigenous elders’ accessibility to care service. His examination includes the development of care service techniques, the intersection between governmental service and political democratization, and the dynamic of scientific discourse and Indigenous knowledge toward health and well-being.

Leyi (Joy) Zhou

MSW, LMSW, Doctoral Student

PhD Graduate Research Assistant

Joy’s research skills and commitment to advancing knowledge in aging services contribute to CASAS’ mission of promoting positive change. Their work helps us better understand the complexities of aging and develop evidence-based solutions.

Leyi (Joy) Zhou is a doctoral student at the School of Social Welfare, University of California, Berkeley. Prior to pursuing her PhD, she worked as a bilingual social worker in New York during COVID-19, providing CBT therapy to older adults and serving both English-speaking and Chinese immigrant communities. Her research focuses on leveraging technology to improve service access and equity for older adults and exploring collaborative approaches to engage older adults in the co-development of technology-assisted programs. Passionate about building equitable, age-friendly communities in today’s digital society, Joy is committed to working closely with communities and older adults to ensure that no one is left behind.