Expert Panel Member - OneOhio Board Appointee

As the Director of the Center for Health and Human Services Research at Talbert House, Sperber oversees research in the areas of addiction, mental health, corrections, and implementation science. She also helps Talbert House implement, monitor, and respond to Continuous Quality Improvement metrics that assess the agency’s performance in terms of process, outcomes, and treatment fidelity. Her most recent research has focused on appropriate applications of risk-based treatment dosage for criminal justice clients, identifying and addressing barriers to Medication Assisted Treatment and opioid overdose prevention in community-based programs, and identifying barriers to engagement in co-parenting services for non-residential fathers and their co-parenting partners. Since earning her Ph.D. in criminal justice from the University of Cincinnati, Sperber has authored or co-authored more than 70 publications, technical reports, and professional presentations, and has served as the Principal Investigator on more than 10 studies directly related to the opioid epidemic. In recognition of her expertise, Sperber has been asked to work with the Ohio Attorney General's Task Force on Criminal Justice and Mental Illness, as well as several other state associations and agencies.

 Sperber says the severity and longevity of the opioid epidemic within Ohio and the damage it continues to inflict is what drives her desire to be a part of potential solutions. Sperber added that the funding, “… represents an opportunity to intentionally and systematically apply what we know from both science and practical lived experiences to increase access to evidence-based services and strategies and to reduce disparities in health and social outcomes.”