The SmartyPants Scientific Advisory Board

Science drives everything we do.

To create the best products, we’ve assembled a Scientific Advisory Board of leading experts in nutrition and wellness. These hand-picked specialists, with expertise spanning antioxidant research, women’s health, fitness, and nutrient science, ensure our formulations are backed by the latest research.

They guide our decisions, refine our products, and help us innovate—so every formula meets the highest standards of quality and efficacy.

Meet Our Scientific Advisory Board

Michael Grandner - PhD, MTR, CBSM, FAASM

Michael Grandner

PhD, MTR, CBSM, FAASM

Sleep & Health Research Program Director, University of Arizona

“Someone finally did it! A lower-dose melatonin. One thing everyone agrees on, though, is that most of the available OTC doses are too high. I am glad that SmartyPants Vitamins listened and released a lower-dose alternative.”

Professional Background
Dr. Grandner is a licensed clinical psychologist board-certified in Behavioral Sleep Medicine, Director of the Sleep and Health Research Program at the University of Arizona and Director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Clinic at the Banner-University Medical Center in Tucson, AZ. He is Associate Professor of Psychiatry and is an author on over 300 academic publications on the topic of sleep health. His research focuses on upstream social, biological, and behavioral determinants of sleep health, downstream cardiometabolic, mental health, and functional consequences of poor sleep health, and real-world interventions for improving sleep health. Part of this work includes the study of sleep and nutrition, and the effect of nutritional supplements on sleep health.

Dr. Nicole Avena

Dr. Nicole Avena

PhD

Nutrition Expert and Author

“SmartyPants Vitamins makes it easy to get high-quality, science-backed nutrients every day — a smart choice for supporting overall health and wellness.”

Professional Background
Dr. Nicole Avena received her PhD in Neuroscience and Psychology from Princeton University, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship in molecular biology at The Rockefeller University.

Dr. Avena has done groundbreaking work developing models to characterize food addiction and the dangers of excess sugar intake. In addition to over 100 peer-reviewed scholarly publications, Dr. Avena has written several popular books, her latest book, Sugarless: A 7 Step Plan to Uncover Hidden Sugars, Curb Your Cravings and Conquer Your Addiction, covers the latest science on sugar addiction and how to overcome it.

When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband and their two daughters, gardening, and taking care of their farm pets, as well as cooking and traveling.

Michelle Tsai

Michelle Tsai

MD

Assistant Professor of OBGYN at UCLA, Director of the UCLA Marina Del Rey OBGYN Office

“I love Smartypants products for their clean ingredients, transparent packaging, and reasonable pricing. Not only do I recommend their products to my patients, but also, I, myself, take SmartyPants Vitamins and buy them for my children.”

Professional Background
Dr. Michelle Tsai grew up in LA's San Gabriel Valley and received her bachelor's degree at the University of California – Berkeley. She taught English in Asia for a year prior to attending medical school at Virginia Commonwealth University. She completed her residency training at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu and moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to open her own private practice. Dr. Tsai joined UCLA in 2019. When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband and miniature schnauzer Sadie, as well as traveling, exercising, and trying out new restaurants in her community. They welcomed their first child in October 2020.

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