Anne Richards

Anne Richards is a Professor in the School of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), affiliated with the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences. Her research focuses on sleep disturbances in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), neurophysiological mechanisms of sleep in trauma-exposed populations, and the intersection of neuroendocrinology with psychiatric conditions.

• Harvard University - A.B. in History (1996)
• Columbia University - M.D. in Medicine (2004)
• Columbia University - M.P.H. in Public Health (2004)
• UCSF - Psychiatry Residency (2008)

Her research program, funded by NIH Grant IK2CX000871, investigates sexual dimorphism in PTSD-related sleep disturbances with a focus on REM sleep patterns. Current projects examine relationships between sleep spindles, emotional memory processing, and pharmacological interventions like doxazosin for sleep disruption.

Key trends in her 30+ publications (2001-2025) include:

• Longitudinal studies on sleep architecture in PTSD patients
• Neurobiological mechanisms of trauma-related nightmares
• Cognitive performance across sleep duration spectra
• Neurosteroid responses in stress disorders

Scientific contributions include:

• NIH-funded research on REM sleep and PTSD
• Development of mobile app-based sleep diary methodologies
• Landmark studies on sleep spindles and emotional processing

Active in clinical trials and translational research, Richards leads the Richards Lab focusing on neurophysiological aspects of trauma-related sleep disorders. Her work spans collaborations with UCSF's Department of Psychiatry and multiple VA healthcare systems.