Dr. Cornell studies the effects of health care policy on the care of older adults. She is interested in how health systems can best support older adults to live with dignity and independence in care settings that meet their needs, and she uses econometric methods to draw causal inference from observational data. She is currently the principal investigator of a partnered evaluation of the impact of social workers in Veterans Administration primary care teams on Veterans' health care outcomes. She is a 2020-2021 Resource Center for Minority Aging Research (RCMAR) scientist, receiving support from the USC Schaeffer Center for a pilot project to study racial segregation and disparities in assisted living. Dr. Cornell also has investigated nursing home quality, assisted living markets and policy, and long-term care insurance. Her research has been published in high-impact, peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Health Economics, Health Services Research, and Health Affairs.