Our Staff
The staff of the Cleveland Sleep Research Center encompasses over 75 years of clinical research experience in the study and management of sleep disorders and has applied that experience to strong educational efforts in disseminating knowledge and expanding awareness of the latest advances in sleep medicine.
Dr. Mansoor Ahmed, MD, FCCP, FABSM
Principal Investigator, Chief Executive Officer, Medical Director
Dr Mansoor Ahmed graduated from King Edward Medical College in Pakistan and completed his fellowships in medicine, pulmonology, critical care and sleep medicines at McGill University, Toronto General Hospital and Health Science Center, Winnipeg, Canada. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and American Board of Internal Medicine Specialties.
Dr Ahmed has held faculty appointments in the department of medicine and international studies at Case Western University. He served as chairman of International Affairs of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine where his committee developed the first of its kind Mini-fellowship training program in Sleep for international physicians.
Dr Ahmed established one of the first community based integrated clinical sleep programs in greater Cleveland that included research, sleep-health education and mentorship initiatives. He established and directed Sleep programs at Bedford-University Hospital System and Lutheran Hospital Cleveland Clinic Foundation.
Since 1993, Dr Ahmed has focused his clinical research efforts toward treating patients with widely diverse comorbidities accompanying their sleep issues Including PTSD, Mood Disorders, ADD-ADHD and other psychiatric and pain conditions. He has served as principal investigator in clinical trials of Insomnia, Narcolepsy, OSA, RLS, chronic fibromyalgia, ADHD, Asthma and COPD. He has been awarded insvestigator- initiated support related to FM and sleep and RLS at Cleveland Sleep Research Center. His published research work has been in the areas of respiratory control, RLS, and FM.
Dr. Martin Scharf, PhD, FABSM
Sub-Investigator, Research & Development Consultant
Dr Martin Scharf started his career in sleep research at UCLA, where he became the Associate Director of arguably the first Sleep Disorders Center in the U.S., under the direction of Dr Anthony Kales, a pioneer in the field of Sleep Medicine. He received his PhD from the Pennsylvania State University in Hershey and has been involved with the development and clinical testing of virtually every major pharmaceutical used in treating disorders of sleep and wakefulness, resulting in over 250 scientific papers. In 1983, he introduced Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (Xyrem) into the U.S. for the treatment of narcolepsy with cataplexy and contributed over 800 patient/years of safety data towards FDA approval. His testimony before the Congress resulted in the bifurcated scheduling of the drug for Narcolepsy. He has also served as an expert witness in cases involving sleep disorders.
Dr Scharf created and directed the first free-standing sleep disorders clinic in the US (Tristate Sleep Disorders Center) as well as this country's first sleep clinic satellite network. His satellite network resulted in the accreditation of almost twenty new sleep centers throughout the country.
Dr Scharf created one of the first schools for sleep laboratory technicians. A number of current and past leaders in the registered technician area were trained at his school and went on to shape the main sleep organization for sleep laboratory technicians.
Dr Scharf’s Research focus has centered around characterizing the effects and effectiveness of virtually every hypnotic marketed during the last forty years. His work in fibromyalgia has resulted in the first demonstrated pharmacological reduction in alpha intrusion into sleep (non-restorative Sleep) associated with improved patient symptoms and led to the current theory of positive allosteric modulation of GABAB compounds as possible treatments for the condition. Dr Scharf authored over 250 scientific papers
While serving as the Sleep Consultant to the infant apnea team at Children’s Hospital in Cincinnati, he tested the breath rite nasal strip in infants demonstrating a reduction in apnea events in newborns with colds when wearing the strip. Scharf also developed a system for treating bed wetting which was detailed in his book "Waking Up Dry: How to End Bedwetting Forever”. His work in bedwetting has been featured on national television shows such as 20/20 and again on the tenth anniversary highlighting the decades Best of 20/20. Dr Scharf has appeared as a guest on such shows as Today, Good Morning America and Oprah. Dr Scharf left Tristate Sleep Disorders Center to join with Dr Ahmed in 2013.
Zahra Jishi, MPH, CCRP
Clinical Research Manager
Zahra Jishi completed her Bachelor of Science degree at the American University of Beirut (AUB) majoring in environmental health sciences and her Masters of Public Health degree with emphasis on hospital administration. Prior to coming to the US, she received additional training in clinical and public health methodology at the Erasmus University in Netherland and training in environmental and health research sponsored by the World Bank. Upon her arrival into the US, she began and completed all coursework in the doctoral program in environmental health sciences, atmospheric pollution, at The University of Michigan (U of M) and served as a Pre-doctoral Research Fellow at the Lerner Research Institute at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. She is also certified as a Clinical Research Professional by the Society of Clinical Research Associates (SOCRA).
Ms. Jishi developed and honed her teaching skills first as a faculty instructor and program coordinator in environmental health at AUB and then as a graduate instructor in her department at U of M. Since 2011, Ms. Jishi has worked at the Cleveland Sleep Research Center as a Research Coordinator and ultimately as the Center’s Clinical Research Manager training and supervising all research and technical staff. Her main responsibilities include assurance of adherence to SOPs, ICH Good Clinical Practice and FDA regulations, overseeing of all aspects of the clinical trials conduct, completion and submission of regulatory documents, contracts and budget negotiations, patient recruitment and IRB submissions and communications. Her rich background in epidemiology and biostatistics has enabled her to contribute greatly to protocol writing of investigator initiated research (IIT) and all aspects of data analysis and research publications.
Dr. Mark Woyshville, MD, FAASM
Sub-Investigator, Collaborating Physician
Dr. Hazem Nouraldin, MD
Sub-Investigator, Collaborating Physician
Dr. Abdelmadjid Belkadi, PhD, CPSGT
Research Fellow
Murat Gurer, MBA
Finance/Controller
George Hensley, RPSGT
Sleep Technologist and certified clinilabs scorer
Stephanie Maldonado, RPSGT
Sleep Techonologist and certified clinilabs scorer
Melissa Murphey, MA
Phlebotomist