FARM 2025 | Menstrual Cycle Physiology & Performance Session Speakers
Menstrual Cycle Physiology and Performance
Despite the menstrual cycle’s pivotal role in female health—occurring over 450 times in a woman’s lifetime—its full physiological impact remains elusive. Join us to discover how wearable technology is providing new insights into menstrual cycle dynamics, explore the hormonal fluctuations that drive female reproductive health, and gain a deeper understanding of how these factors influence athletic recovery and performance.
MODERATOR
Nichole Tyson, MD
Nichole Tyson is a Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Stanford University School of Medicine, specializing in Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. With over 20 years of experience, she is a recognized leader in the field, focusing on complex gynecological issues and education while serving as Chief of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology at Stanford Children’s Hospital.
CO-MODERATOR
Dena Evans
Dena Evans ran middle distance and played soccer for Stanford in the 90s, before coaching the Stanford women’s cross country team to the NCAA title in 2003. She has served on 11 international team coaching staffs for USATF, including as the Women’s Head Coach for the 2023 World Athletics Championships. She is currently the LDR constituency representative on the USATF Board of Directors, and is Vice Chair of the Women’s Commission. Dena has been club director for the post collegiate racing team Peninsula Distance Club since 2007 and is co-founder of the Bay Area Running Camp for youth and adults. Both her daughters are collegiate soccer players.
SPEAKER
Kristy Popp, PhD
Kristin Popp is a Research Investigator at the HealthPartners Institute TRIA Research and Education Center and the Associate Director of Research for the Wu Tsai Alliance Female Athlete Program in Boston. Her research focuses on understanding menstrual cycle physiology and bone stress injuries in athletes and military personnel, examining the structural and microarchitectural aspects of bone, while integrating bone metabolism markers and advanced imaging techniques to enhance rehabilitation and long-term bone health.
SPEAKER
Hannah O’Day, PhD
Hannah O’Day is a Program Manager and researcher with the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance at Stanford. She is studying menstrual cycle health and physiology using a large wearables dataset. Hannah enjoys marathon running and rock climbing.
SPEAKER
Sarah Johnson, PhD
Sarah Johnson is a postdoctoral fellow with the Digital Athlete Moonshot of the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance at Stanford. She is developing new techniques that use wearable data to enhance peak performance in female athletes. Her work focuses on understanding the impact of the menstrual cycle and contraceptive use, in addition to preventing bone stress injuries through developing biomechanically informed daily risk scores. Sarah is an avid runner and has competed at the national levels.
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