Leslie Morgan received a B.A. in Sociology from Miami University (Ohio), and received both her M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Southern California.

Included among her research activities have been several, related NIA-funded projects (with Kevin Eckert) on older adults in supportive housing settings (board-and-care homes, assisted living). She has been a co-investigator in the multi-state CS-LTC studies (Zimmerman, Sloane and Eckert PIs) of outcomes of various supportive housing environments (e.g., nursing homes or assisted living) for the well-being of older individuals and PI on a project examining the costs to caregivers with relatives suffering from Alzheimer's disease or other dementias. In addition, Dr. Morgan received an NIA-funded National Research Service Award in 1993-94 to conduct research on the hands-on workers in long-term care, the nursing assistants. Dr. Morgan is about to embark on a study examining the various stakeholders' views on the meaning of quality in assisted living settings, distinguishing resident from family, staff and administrator views.

She has authored or co-authored four books and published 45 articles and book chapters. Dr. Morgan is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America and received the 1996 Distinguished Faculty Mentor Award from the University of Maryland Chapter of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and a Charter Fellow of the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education.