Stanford Sleep Research Center (Stanford, CA)

National Coordinator / Central Scoring System Manager

Responsible for overall operations on NHLBI’s 14.1-million-dollar Apnea Positive Pressure Long-term Efficacy Study (APPLES): a 6-month, randomized, double-blind, 2‑arm, sham-controlled, multi-center trial to assess the long-term effectiveness of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with >1,516 enrolled subjects.

• Ensured program excellence across 5 university, hospital, and private practice sites.

  • Performed annual site audits, organized and chaired monthly quality assurance meetings, provided operations advice, and made recommendations to promote staffing diversity. Monitored monthly subject enrollment and retention goals for all clinical centers.

• Created procedures and tools to foster standardization and data integrity.

  • Collaboratively produced a detailed manual of operations and >100 case report forms to help ensure adherence to protocols and the collection of consistent, high-quality data.

• Assisted in developing a robust, online data entry and management system that effectively collected and managed >8 million data points.

• Managed Central Scoring System for APPLES and the APPLES fMRI Study.

  • Designed and implemented a database to track >20,000 sleep studies. Developed and implemented the program’s quality control and quality assurance procedures, including a detailed instruction manual. Hired and managed team of up to 15 remote technicians.

• Supervised data collection at Stanford’s Clinical Center.

  • Ensured high-level care was provided to the >400 subjects enrolled at Stanford. Recruited, trained, and supervised a diverse team of 12-16 staff members.

• Assisted Dr. Clete Kushida in developing/implementing subsequent clinical trials, including APPLES fMRI, APPLE CORS, and TOPS.