Veronica Richards is the Principal Investigator of the SPARCLE Lab and an Assistant Professor at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences. She holds appointments in the TSET Health Promotion Research Center within the Stephenson Cancer Center and in the Department of Health Promotion Sciences within the Hudson College of Public Health.

Dr. Richards’ research program focuses on understanding risk factors for blackouts and other alcohol-related consequences, with an overall goal to reduce alcohol-related harms in young adults. She explores cutting-edge ways to measure alcohol use in real time, such as wearable alcohol sensors and moment-to-moment self-report tools like ecological momentary assessment.

She completed her PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Florida in 2022 and then completed postdoctoral training at the Pennsylvania State University’s NIDA-funded T32 Prevention and Methodology Training program before starting the SPARCLE Lab in 2024.

In her free time, Dr. Richards likes hanging out with her animals, going to the climbing gym, attending concerts and completing home renovation projects with her husband.