Aislinn Conrad

Aislinn Conrad, PhD, LMSW, is an Associate Professor of Social Work at the University of Iowa and a nationally recognized scholar in the areas of child abuse prevention, economic hardship, and the ethical integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in social systems. Her research sits at the intersection of innovation, equity, and care—advancing tools and insights that reduce family surveillance while promoting well-being.

Dr. Conrad leads multiple interdisciplinary, community-engaged projects focused on preventing harm and improving outcomes for vulnerable children and families. She is the principal investigator on iCare, a cutting-edge AI prototype that uses motion capture to detect physical violence in real time. Her broader portfolio includes federally funded evaluations of infant-toddler court programs, initiatives to address material hardship, and projects that reimagine how public systems support families under stress.

With a background as a frontline child welfare worker and over a decade of experience as an evaluator and academic, Dr. Conrad brings a practitioner’s urgency and a visionary’s imagination to her work. She is committed to fostering collaborative solutions that are ethically sound, trauma-informed, and grounded in lived expertise.