Dr Emma Richards

Reseach Officer

Health Data Science

+44 (0) 1792 604219

e.v.richards@swansea.ac.uk

Basic Welsh Speaker

Research Links

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1063-2576

ResearchGate

Google Scholar

ResearcherID

Scopus

About

Dr Emma Richards spearheads the evidencing, archiving, and further development of an Impact Case Study for REF 2029 on gambling harm among the UK Armed Forces community. She joins a growing community of academics in the Gambling Research, Education and Treatment (GREAT) Centre, focused on investigating gambling-related harm from a multidisciplinary perspective. She is working closely with the Look Back to Move Forward team and external partners (Adferiad), and is helping design, conduct, evaluate, and report findings on the impact of a bespoke toolkit to aid the identification and assessment of gambling-related harms among Armed Forces veterans.

Dr Emma Richards spent 18 months within Public Health Wales as a Research and Evaluation Fellow, and researcher for the screening division and returned to academia in April 2026.

Previously, Dr Emma Richards was a senior researcher in the Centre for Ageing and Dementia Research at Swansea University. Roles included:

Chief Investigator on a UKRI-funded grant examining Hearing Loss and Place
CI on a project that examined white matter changes and otological symptoms in older people.
CI on a project examining group support for people living with dementia and their carers during COVID.
Identifying what individuals living with dementia want to facilitate and support their potential to ‘Live Well with Dementia’ within Swansea Bay. The aim being to create a benchmark in order to target action points within the Dementia Action Plan for service provision across the region and the development of a strategic framework. This piece of work will form an integral part of the development of the local health board's Dementia Strategy.
South Wales Project lead on the Cognitive Function and Ageing Study (CFAS)

Emma’s PhD 'Characterising Vascular Cognitive Impairment' and brain processing speeds, to increase understanding of early signs and symptoms of the disease.

She has an MSc in Psychology (Open University), specialising in the brain and ageing, including non-pharmacological treatments for dementia, and alcohol consumption and the risk of dementia; and a PGCE (Post Compulsory Education and Training) from the University of South Wales.

Researcher Emma has personal reason to fight dementia - Wales Online

Areas Of Expertise

Various aetiologies of Dementia
Vascular Cognitive Impairment
Sensory changes in ageing and dementia
Hearing loss
Cognitive testing
Executive functioning
Information Processing speed
Visual attention
Carer Stress
Public Involvement and Engagement

Career Highlights

Research

PhD Scholarship from Alzheimer’s Brace Charity

UKRI grant holder (HEaring Loss and Place - HeLP) Hearing Loss and Place (HeLP) - SBDRP (ageing-sbdrp.co.uk)

PI Investigating white matter changes and otological symptoms in older adults.

Co applicant on Cosmo project - COVID-19 impact on the Support and Management of Older people in Wales COVID-19 impact on the Support and Management of Older people in Wales: The COSMO Study – research opportunity | Health Care Research Wales (healthandcareresearchwales.org)

PhD supervision:

The Trends of Using Web-Based/Internet-Based Technologies in the Process of Accessing Health Information and Health Services of Informal Caregivers of Dementia Patients ” (current)
Influence of sleep psychophysiological and cognitive functions in healthy older adults and people with vascular dementia (current).
Environmental risk factors for Cardiovascular Disease and Dementia at population level.

Award Highlights Collaborations

Publications

Research Highlights

Richards, E., Cunningham-Burley, S., Porteous, C., Tully, M., Aitken, M., & Jones, K. (2018). International Consensus Statement on Public Involvement and Engagement with Data-Intensive Health Research. International Journal of Population Data Science, 3(4)
https://doi.org/10.23889/ijpds.v3i4.837, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa43727
https://ijpds.org/issue/archive
Richards, E., Bayer, A., Hanley, C., Norris, J., & Tales, A. (2019). Reaction Time and Visible White Matter Lesions in Subcortical Ischemic Vascular Cognitive Impairment. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 72(3), 859-865.
https://doi.org/10.3233/jad-190823, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa52247
Richards, E., Bayer, A., Hanley, C., Norris, J., & Tales, A. (2019). Subcortical Ischemic Vascular Cognitive Impairment: Insights from Reaction Time Measures. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 72(3), 845-857.
https://doi.org/10.3233/jad-190889, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa52248
Aitken, M., Tully, M., Porteous, C., Denegri, S., Cunningham-Burley, S., Banner, N., Black, C., Burgess, M., Cross, L., Delden, J., Ford, E., Fox, S., Fitzpatrick, N., Gallacher, K., Goddard, C., Hassan, L., Jamieson, R., Jones, K., Kaarakainen, M...., & Willison, D. (2019). Consensus Statement on Public Involvement and Engagement with Data-Intensive Health Research. International Journal of Population Data Science, 4(1)
https://doi.org/10.23889/ijpds.v4i1.586, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa53727
Torrens-Burton, A., Hanley, C., Wood, R., Basoudan, N., Norris, J., Richards, E., & Tales, A. (2020). Lacking Pace but Not Precision: Age-Related Information Processing Changes in Response to a Dynamic Attentional Control Task. Brain Sciences, 10(6), 390
https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci10060390, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa54544
Richards, E., Cutter, J., & Tales, A. (2020). Dementia-based services in Swansea Bay
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55154
Richards, E., Bayer, A., & Tales, A. (2020). Characterising vascular cognitive impairment compared to cognitively healthy ageing with respect to reaction time, the intra‐individual variability of RT, and error production, practice effects and the task used in their measurement. Alzheimer's & Dementia, 16(S6)
https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.042899, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa56105
Richards, E., Thornton, I., Bayer, A., & Tales, A. (2021). Inhibitory control deficits in vascular cognitive impairment revealed using the MILO task. Neuropsychologia, 155, 107794
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2021.107794, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa56282
McKeown, K., Richards, E., Richardson, J., & Tales, A. (2021). The Trails Making Test. Does a Single Trial Reflect Performance Capability?. OBM Neurobiology, 05(02), 1-1.
https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2102100, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa57052
Richards, E., Tales, A., Bayer, A., Norris, J., Hanley, C., & Thornton, I. (2021). Reaction Time Decomposition as a Tool to Study Subcortical Ischemic Vascular Cognitive Impairment. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease Reports, 5(1), 625-636.
https://doi.org/10.3233/adr-210029, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa57313
Norris, J., Tales, A., Badger, J., Cousins, A., & Richards, E. (2024). Autistic Trait Level and Reaction Time in Older Adults: The Influence of Sex and Task upon Study Outcome. Autism in Adulthood, 0
https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2023.0120, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa66907
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/aut.2023.0120
Norris, J., Tales, A., Richards, E., Cousins, A., & Badger, J. (2025). Ageing and subjective cognitive decline in males and females: Associations with objective cognitive abilities, mental health, and autistic traits. Research in Autism, 127, 202682
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.reia.2025.202682, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa70161
Slade, H., Richards, L., Tales, A., Thomas, C., Christopher, G., & Richards, E. (2025). Auditory dysfunction in dementia and cognitive decline. In Andrea Tales, Jan Kremlacek, Emma Richards (Ed.), A New Approach to Dementia: Examining Sensory and Perceptual Impairment Routledge
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa70169
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003464136-6/auditory-dysfunction-dementia-cognitive-decline-helen-slade-leanne-richards-andrea-tales-clive-thomas-gary-christopher-emma-richards?context=ubx&refId=3aa33bdd-7ec4-4882-b5f8-c708c08b844f
Richards, E. & Tales, A. (2026). Individual Environments of Ageing: Hearing loss. In Judith Phillips Elaine Douglas (Ed.), Healthy Ageing: Social, Behavioural and Design Innovations Policy Press
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa71138

All Research

Journal Articles

Norris, J., Tales, A., Richards, E., Cousins, A., & Badger, J. (2025). Ageing and subjective cognitive decline in males and females: Associations with objective cognitive abilities, mental health, and autistic traits. Research in Autism, 127, 202682
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.reia.2025.202682, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa70161
Norris, J., Tales, A., Badger, J., Cousins, A., & Richards, E. (2024). Autistic Trait Level and Reaction Time in Older Adults: The Influence of Sex and Task upon Study Outcome. Autism in Adulthood, 0
https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2023.0120, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa66907
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/aut.2023.0120
Richards, E., Tales, A., Bayer, A., Norris, J., Hanley, C., & Thornton, I. (2021). Reaction Time Decomposition as a Tool to Study Subcortical Ischemic Vascular Cognitive Impairment. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease Reports, 5(1), 625-636.
https://doi.org/10.3233/adr-210029, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa57313
McKeown, K., Richards, E., Richardson, J., & Tales, A. (2021). The Trails Making Test. Does a Single Trial Reflect Performance Capability?. OBM Neurobiology, 05(02), 1-1.
https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2102100, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa57052
Richards, E., Thornton, I., Bayer, A., & Tales, A. (2021). Inhibitory control deficits in vascular cognitive impairment revealed using the MILO task. Neuropsychologia, 155, 107794
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2021.107794, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa56282
Richards, E., Bayer, A., & Tales, A. (2020). Characterising vascular cognitive impairment compared to cognitively healthy ageing with respect to reaction time, the intra‐individual variability of RT, and error production, practice effects and the task used in their measurement. Alzheimer's & Dementia, 16(S6)
https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.042899, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa56105
Torrens-Burton, A., Hanley, C., Wood, R., Basoudan, N., Norris, J., Richards, E., & Tales, A. (2020). Lacking Pace but Not Precision: Age-Related Information Processing Changes in Response to a Dynamic Attentional Control Task. Brain Sciences, 10(6), 390
https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci10060390, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa54544
Richards, E., Bayer, A., Hanley, C., Norris, J., & Tales, A. (2019). Reaction Time and Visible White Matter Lesions in Subcortical Ischemic Vascular Cognitive Impairment. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 72(3), 859-865.
https://doi.org/10.3233/jad-190823, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa52247
Richards, E., Bayer, A., Hanley, C., Norris, J., & Tales, A. (2019). Subcortical Ischemic Vascular Cognitive Impairment: Insights from Reaction Time Measures. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 72(3), 845-857.
https://doi.org/10.3233/jad-190889, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa52248
Aitken, M., Tully, M., Porteous, C., Denegri, S., Cunningham-Burley, S., Banner, N., Black, C., Burgess, M., Cross, L., Delden, J., Ford, E., Fox, S., Fitzpatrick, N., Gallacher, K., Goddard, C., Hassan, L., Jamieson, R., Jones, K., Kaarakainen, M...., & Willison, D. (2019). Consensus Statement on Public Involvement and Engagement with Data-Intensive Health Research. International Journal of Population Data Science, 4(1)
https://doi.org/10.23889/ijpds.v4i1.586, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa53727
Richards, E., Cunningham-Burley, S., Porteous, C., Tully, M., Aitken, M., & Jones, K. (2018). International Consensus Statement on Public Involvement and Engagement with Data-Intensive Health Research. International Journal of Population Data Science, 3(4)
https://doi.org/10.23889/ijpds.v3i4.837, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa43727
https://ijpds.org/issue/archive

Book Chapters

Richards, E. & Tales, A. (2026). Individual Environments of Ageing: Hearing loss. In Judith Phillips Elaine Douglas (Ed.), Healthy Ageing: Social, Behavioural and Design Innovations Policy Press
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa71138
Slade, H., Richards, L., Tales, A., Thomas, C., Christopher, G., & Richards, E. (2025). Auditory dysfunction in dementia and cognitive decline. In Andrea Tales, Jan Kremlacek, Emma Richards (Ed.), A New Approach to Dementia: Examining Sensory and Perceptual Impairment Routledge
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa70169
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003464136-6/auditory-dysfunction-dementia-cognitive-decline-helen-slade-leanne-richards-andrea-tales-clive-thomas-gary-christopher-emma-richards?context=ubx&refId=3aa33bdd-7ec4-4882-b5f8-c708c08b844f

Other Research Outputs

Richards, E., Cutter, J., & Tales, A. (2020). Dementia-based services in Swansea Bay
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55154

Supervision

Sleep, Memory, Cognition and Wellbeing in Participants with Vascular Dementia and in Healthy Older and Younger Adults (awarded 2025)

PhD

Other supervisor: Prof Andrea Tales

Other supervisor: Prof Mark Blagrove