Professor Carlson studies electronic phase transitions in quantum materials, discovering universal fractal electronic textures that appear across superconductors, magnetic materials, and other quantum systems. Her research group develops new conceptual frameworks to understand and control complex pattern formation in these materials - work that connects to applications ranging from high-temperature superconductivity to neuromorphic computing. She was elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society in 2015 for her theoretical insights into electron nematicity, disorder, and noise in strongly correlated electron systems.