Caroline R. Richardson MD

Dr. Richardson is a physical activity and diabetes prevention researcher who emphasizes the importance of using low-cost and scalable approaches to promoting physical activity. She develops and tests behavioral internet-mediated interventions to increase physical activity, decrease weight, and prevent diabetes. Focusing on components of web-based interventions that are interactive and individually tailored, Dr. Richardson builds interventions that are more than just static informational websites. They incorporate objective monitoring of physical activity, individually tailored feedback and motivational messaging, and online social support to motivate and engage users. Automated, gradually incrementing and individually tailored step-count goals are assigned to participants based on program progress as they build up their endurance. Dr. Richardson was the Director of the Veterans Administration Diabetes Quality Improvement Initiative (QUERI) and conducted a multi-site implementation study of the Diabetes Prevention Program for veterans.

Dr. Richardson currently serves as Associate Chair for Research Programs in the Department of Family Medicine. She currently serves as a member of the Institute for Health Policy and Innovation's Institute Leadership Team (ILT). In addition, she leads education and scholarship initiatives as Chair of the IHPI education committee and co-director of the IHPI Clinician Scholars Program (NCSP). Dr. Richardson also serves as Associate Editor of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.