Douglas Kirsch MD

Dr. Douglas Kirsch is a board-certified sleep specialist and past President of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (2018–2019). He currently serves as the Medical Director for Atrium Health Sleep Medicine for the multi-state hospital system, and holds the rank of Professor of Neurology at the Wake Forest School of Medicine.

An accomplished scholar and researcher, Dr. Kirsch was the first author of the 2025 Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine study validating the Patient-reported Longitudinal Assessment Tool for OSA (PLATO). He is a prolific author and editor of multiple textbooks, most recently serving as the lead editor for the 2nd Edition of "Sleep Medicine", published in late 2025.

With a distinguished academic background that includes previous faculty appointments at Harvard Medical School and the University of Michigan, Dr. Kirsch has held numerous national leadership roles, including Program Chair for the SLEEP Meeting and Chair of the AASM Sleep Medicine Trends course (2023–2026). His current professional interests focus on the integration of emerging technology in sleep medicine and demonstrating the clinical and economic value of specialized sleep care.