ABOUT DR. MAH
Cheri D. Mah, MD, MS, is a sleep physician and an Adjunct Lecturer at the Stanford Sleep Medicine Center. She is regarded as a national and international expert on sleep and performance in elite athletes. Her research investigates the impact of sleep on cognitive and physical performance across a wide range of sports. This work focuses on studying the benefits of sleep extension to reduce negative consequences of chronic sleep loss on daytime functioning. She has also examined circadian rhythm performance advantages in the NFL and how sleep restriction impairs athlete biomechanics.
Dr. Mah is currently a sleep expert for Under Armour and served on the Nike Performance Council for 9 years. She consults professional teams in the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB as well as international sports organizations on optimal sleep, travel, and performance strategies. She has worked with the World Champion Golden State Warriors (NBA), San Francisco Giants (MLB), San Jose Sharks (NHL), Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL), Toronto Blue Jays (MLB), among other teams. In 2017, she helped the Philadelphia Eagles (NFL) win the Super Bowl. In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she helped a 3x Olympian win multiple gold medals. Dr. Mah has also advised Formula 1, C-suite executives, and the US military.
Dr. Mah’s experience includes advising Supermoon Capital and working with Gatorade, ESPN, Google, and various sleep technology startups. Additionally, she created the ESPN Mah Score, an NBA win-loss predictor based strictly on team schedule. Her research and work are featured in national and international media including the NY Times, ESPN, NPR, NBC Bay Area, Time, CBS, BBC, Runner’s World, National Geographic Adventure, and the Wall Street Journal.
Dr. Mah is board-certified in Sleep Medicine having completed Sleep Medicine Fellowship at the Stanford Sleep Medicine Center. She is also board-certified in Internal Medicine having completed Internal Medicine Residency at Kaiser San Francisco. Dr. Mah received her M.D. at the University of California San Francisco where she was a research fellow with the UCSF Human Performance Center. She received her M.S. in Biological Sciences and her B.A.S. dual degree in Biological Sciences and Psychology graduating Phi Beta Kappa from Stanford University.
MEDIA
The Woman Who Helps NBA Stars To Sleep: Dr. Cheri D. Mah
NBC's highlight of Andre Iguodala's multiple championship seasons following improving his sleep
Dr. Cheri D. Mah discusses the benefits of a nappuccino.
CNN: Sleep like a pro with 6 expert tips
MLB sleep experts share some of the same tips they provide to professional baseball players, so that anyone can learn to sleep like a pro.
TIME for Health Talk: Get the Most From Your Sleep
Listen to NBA athlete Andre Iguodala and Dr. Cheri Mah to learn how making small changes in your sleep habits can make you healthier, more productive and even more fit.
WIRED: How Science Helps the Warriors Sleep Their Way to Success
Dr. Cheri D. Mah discusses her approach to working with Warriors' Andre Iguodala during his rise to MVP status.
Bleacher Report: Biggest X-Factor in 2018 NBA Finals Just Might Be a Good Night's Sleep
Dr. Cheri D. Mah discusses why mental lapses occur on the field of play and how sleep optimization can be the key to success.
New York Times: NHL Teams Dream of a Title After a Good Night's Sleep
Sleep research led the Sharks to change when they practiced, how they trained and whether they had a morning skate. They had the best road record in the NHL.
Nike Trained: The Link Between Sleep and Slam Dunks
Dr. Cheri Mah, MD, shares how the world’s top athletes get their edge by taking sleep seriously, and how you can get the most out of your shut-eye.
ESPN Schedule Alert: 1.0, 2.0, 3.0
The Mah Score predicted when fatigued NBA teams are at risk of losing not because of the opponent, but based solely on schedule-related factors (insufficient recovery/sleep opportunities, circadian disruption, travel fatigue, etc). Dr. Mah correctly predicted 76-86% of the Red Alert games to be losses over the three seasons (2016-2019).
UC Newsroom: How to Sleep Like A Pro (Athlete)
Do you want an easy way to improve your game? Get a bit more sleep, and the results could surprise you. Dr. Mah applies her research and expertise to help the world’s best athletes gain a competitive edge. A growing list of professional teams in the NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB are turning to Dr. Mah to fine-tune their athletes’ sleeping schedules.
NBC Bay Area: Warriors Secret Weapon
Warriors Gets Sleep Advice From UCSF Researcher