Alana J. Gunn, PhD, MPP, AM is an Associate Professor within the Criminology Department at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Gunn’s program of research is informed by 20 years of social work practice and advocacy experiences working with individuals impacted by incarceration, stigmatization, and other systematic access barriers. Her qualitative research is situated in three focus areas: studying the barriers to reentry faced by formerly incarcerated women who are recovering from addiction; secondly, exploring how stigmatization shapes health disparities for various communities, and thirdly, examining the ethics-specific implications of conducting community-based research with populations navigating marginalization. She is currently a P.I. of a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funded-study exploring how experiences of hypersurveillance in the form of policing shape the mental health of families in Chicago and the ethics-specific implications of engaging in this work. Moreover, Dr. Gunn is utilizing community-based research methods to explore the experiences of formerly incarcerated individuals engaged in higher education. In 2021, Dr. Gunn’s article, “’Every time I tell my story’: Voice and inclusion in research with Black women”, was recognized by the British Society of Criminology as one of eight articles published over 12 years that provides critical avenues for addressing crime and harm. In May 2023, Dr. Gunn received the Edith Butler Award from the University of Chicago for her strong commitment to social change, leadership in the community, and innovative approaches to social work practice and research. Dr. Gunn is also a Faculty Partner with Fordham University's Research Ethics Training Institute, a NIDA- funded fellowship, where she is an alum and workshop facilitator.