Meet our Expert Review Board
Our subject-matter experts fact check a variety of sleep health articles across the Early Bird blog.
To ensure we’re delivering the most accurate and up-to-date information for our readers, we sought out the help of certified experts and medical professionals to not only verify our advice, but also to lend some of their own wisdom to our articles. These expert reviewers allow us to provide our readers with the tools and knowledge to understand the importance of sleep, learn more about their sleep patterns, and take healthy steps towards improving their day-to-day sleeping habits.
Learn more about our top-notch expert reviewers below.
Michele Roberge, RPSGT, R.T.
Michele Roberge is a Registered Polysomnographic Technologist and a Registered Radiologic Technologist. Michele currently leads a 4-bed, hospital-based sleep disorder center in Florida, which is also home to one of the largest sleep apnea support groups in the nation.
Dr. Jade Wu, PhD, DBSM
Dr. Jade Wu, Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in behavioral sleep medicine. She completed her Ph.D. at Boston University, and finished her medical psychology residency and clinical fellowship at Duke University School of Medicine.
Colleen E. Carney, Ph.D., CPsych
Dr. Colleen E. Carney is an Associate Professor and Director of the Sleep and Depression Laboratory at Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada. She is the current President of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), Insomnia and Other Sleep Disorders Special Interest Group.
Dr. Michael Grandner, PhD, MTR, CBSM, FAASM
Dr. Michael Grandner is a licensed Clinical Psychologist certified in Behavioral Sleep Medicine and Director of the Sleep and Health Research Program. His work has received awards from the Sleep Research Society, American Academy of Sleep Medicine, American Heart Association, and other organizations.
James Lucas III, MS, RD, CSSD
James Lucas has over ten years of experience as a Registered Dietitian, plus he’s a Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD) and an exercise physiologist. He has a master’s degree in Exercise Physiology from Southern Connecticut State University.
Dr. Colleen Ehrnstrom, Ph.D., ABPP
Colleen Ehrnstrom, Ph.D., ABPP, is a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). She is board certified in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and works in counseling and psychiatric services (CAPS) at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Dr. Douglas R. Krebs, DC, FACO, CCSP, Cert MDT
Douglas R. Krebs, DC, FACO, Cert. MDT is a Board Certified Chiropractic Orthopedist. Dr. Krebs holds certifications in Selective Functional Movement Assessments, Titleist Performance Institute Medical 2 Certified, as well as McKenzie Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy Certified. He also is a Primary Spine Practitioner through the University of Pittsburgh.
Carlene Thomas, RDN, LD
Carlene Thomas RDN holds a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics from James Madison University and completed her Dietetic Internship through Virginia Tech. She’s also a former president of the Virginia Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She is a cookbook author and works as a health writer, recipe developer, and food and beverage visual content creator on national health and culinary campaigns.
Dr. David Gao, PharmD., MBA
Dr. David Gao, PharmD., MBA is a licensed pharmacist specializing in oncology and nutrition. He earned his Doctorate of Pharmacy at St. John’s University and completed his Masters of business…
Katharine Simon, PhD
Katharine Simon, PhD is a licensed clinical pediatric psychologist. She obtained her clinical psychology doctorate at the University of Arizona specializing in sleep, memory, and development. She completed her clinical…
Drew Dawson, PhD
Drew Dawson, PhD has been an active researcher in the field of sleep and fatigue for nearly 30 years. He has a particular interest in the role of sleep loss in human health and well-being. He has published over 200 papers in international peer-reviewed journals and provides expert advice to a range of government and industry groups across the world.
Alicia Roth, PhD, DBSM
Alicia Roth, PhD, DBSM is a Clinical Health Psychologist & Staff at the Cleveland Clinic, where she specializes in Behavioral Sleep Medicine. She completed her doctoral training at the University of Florida, Internship at the Baltimore VA, and Behavioral Sleep Medicine Fellowship at The Cleveland Clinic.
Dr. Nayantara Santhi
Dr. Nayantara Santhi holds an academic position at Northumbria University. After completing her Ph.D. at Northeastern University (Boston, MA), she joined the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School as a post-doctoral fellow to research how sleep and circadian rhythmicity influence our cognitive functioning.
Dr. Renske Lok
Dr. Renske Lok is a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford and a board member of the SLTBR Conference. Her work focuses on circadian rhythms, light, sleep, performance & alertness.
Dr. John Renger
Dr. Renger joined Cerevel Therapeutics as Chief Scientific Officer in 2019 after leaving Imbrium Therapeutics L.P., where he served as vice president of research and development and regulatory affairs, leading…
Miho Tanaka, MD
Dr. Miho Tanaka is an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in sports medicine injuries, and she’s served as a physician for many professional and semi-professional sports teams. Dr. Tanaka is also the founding director of the Women’s Sports Medicine Program at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).
Christopher L. Drake, PhD
Dr. Christopher L. Drake is Section Head of Sleep Research at the Henry Ford Health System and a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at Wayne State…
Katie L. Stone, PhD
Dr. Katie L. Stone is Senior Scientist at CPMC and Adjunct Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of California, San Francisco. She is an epidemiologist with over 25…
James Gangwisch, Ph.D.
James Gangwisch, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor at the Columbia University Medical Center. His research has focused on the relationship between sleep duration, nutrition, psychiatric disorders, and cardiometabolic diseases. The…
Dr. Dagmara Dimitriou
Dr. Dagmara Dimitriou is a Professor of Sleep Education and Research at University College London and leads Sleep Education and Research Laboratory-SERL, which focuses on research examining sleep and mental…
Dr. Jordan Burns DC, MS
Meet Dr. Burns, a devoted chiropractor with an extensive seven-year professional career dedicated to optimizing patient health. With an academic background in Kinesiology, Life Sciences, and Sports Science and Rehabilitation,…
Dr. Nilong Vyas, MD, MPH: Expert Pediatrician and Sleep Consultant
Dr. Nilong Vyas is a board-certified pediatrician with over eight years of experience in her field. She has dedicated her career to helping children and their parents achieve healthier sleep…
Stuart Peirson BSc, PhD is a Professor of Circadian Neuroscience and Group Leader in the fundamental neuroscience theme of the Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institution (SCNi). He completed his PhD…
Dr. Jennifer Miller is a compassionate and skilled outpatient physical therapist with nine years of experience in the field. She earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy from Elon University and…
Shawna Robins: Functional Nutritionist, Sleep Expert and National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach
Shawna Robins is a #1 Amazon bestselling author, graduate of the Institute of Integrative Nutrition (IIN), a national board-certified health and wellness coach, and the visionary creator of Kaia Health…
Dr. Joshua Tal, PhD
Dr. Joshua Tal, PhD, is a licensed psychologist with a private practice located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, New York City, and in Englewood, Bergen County, New Jersey….
Brittany Ford, RHN
Brittany Ford is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist with multiple years of expertise. Since becoming registered in 2019, Brittany has committed herself to helping individuals achieve optimal well-being through a holistic…
Dr. Jing Zhang, Neuroscientist
Jing Zhang is a prominent figure in the realm of sleep research, specializing in the intricate connection between sleep and memory. With an extensive research tenure exceeding 7 years, she…
Antrell Cheatom, BS
Antrell Cheatom is a medical student who specializes in pain and neurological research. He serves as chair of his medical school’s Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation student board and is a…
Dr. Devon Hoffman, Physical Therapy, CSCS, OTS
In the picturesque state of Idaho, the driving force behind RISE train is none other than Dr. Devon Hoffman. Born and bred in the gem state, Devon’s journey into the…
Dr. Dian Ginsberg, MD, F.A.C.O.G.
Dr. Dian Ginsberg is a distinguished medical professional with a wealth of experience and expertise in the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She is a Board Certified physician in Anti-Aging…