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SearchNew Center will support the health, wellness and performance goals for female athletes at any age or ability
Cleveland Clinic has established the Women’s Integrated Sports, Exercise and Research (WISER) center, a first-of-its-kind comprehensive center which focuses on injury prevention, performance, nutrition, mental health and wellbeing for female athletes.
WISER is the first center to utilize an integrated care model to address the needs of women and female competitive athletes who are seeking to engage and optimize their performance, from recreational to professional.
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Marie Schaefer, M.D., (left) and Tamanna Singh, M.D., are co-directors of WISER.
“Most sports medicine research and guidance have traditionally focused on men, leaving gaps in what we know about women’s training, performance, recovery and long-term wellbeing,” said Tamanna Singh, M.D., co-director of WISER and director of the Sports Cardiology Center at Cleveland Clinic. “Given the rapid growth in female representation in athletes, there is a growing population of women athletes and patients who require multidisciplinary and gender- and biological sex-specific care across all ages.”
The center's mission is to provide expert multidisciplinary health care and social support for the female athlete utilizing an athlete-centered model, as well as conduct high-quality female-focused research and enhance access.
This athlete-centered model will provide four clinical care paths for female-specific athlete care mediated by the Athlete Support Team, a group of individuals focused on ensuring a confidential, holistic approach to the athlete’s visit and compiling multidisciplinary recommendations to ensure optimal long-term follow up.
“Integrated care is the missing link to performance and health optimization for active women as their relationship with athletics and movement evolve.” said Barb Anthony, MSSA, LISW-S, WISER’s Clinical Lead of Athlete Support. “Health is intersectional: it includes medical, social, emotional, and environmental considerations. Peak performance and ultimately optimal health can be achieved when athletes feel safe, healthy, and supported.”
The multi-disciplinary team will consist of sports medicine specialists, orthopedists, sport social workers and athletic counselors, sports cardiologists, adolescent medicine specialists, gynecologists, endocrinologists, psychiatrists and psychologists, physical therapists and athletic trainers.
“Women's and girl's participation in sports have grown exponentially over the past several decades – 44 percent of all NCAA athletes are now women,” said Marie Schaefer, M.D., co-director of WISER and a primary care sports medicine physician at Cleveland Clinic. “With that growth comes a responsibility to better understand the unique health needs of female athletes. From injury prevention and performance optimization to long-term health, we must ensure research, resources and clinical care evolve alongside participation so girls and women can compete safely and at their highest potential.”
Areas of focus will include: assessing access and barriers to care with sport social work; identifying personalized performance goals; rebuilding strength and endurance after injury; providing risk assessments and testing for heart conditions; reproductive and endocrine health including help with menstrual cycles, fertility, thyroid or metabolic concerns, and other hormone-related issues; as well as diet, nutrition, and mental health support to optimize training and recovery.
The launch of WISER aligns with Cleveland Clinic’s broader investment in advancing human performance and athlete-centered care. The Cleveland Clinic Global Peak Performance Center, set to open in 2027, will be a 210,000-square-foot facility offering comprehensive care for athletes of all levels and the general public. The center will provide advanced testing, high-tech training equipment and integrated clinical teams spanning orthopaedic surgery, sports medicine, cardiology, pulmonology, neurology, nutrition, psychology, genetics and more. Leveraging data from key partnerships and Cleveland Clinic’s global footprint, it will apply sophisticated analytics and artificial intelligence to better understand the factors that drive performance — further strengthening initiatives like WISER and supporting athletes’ physical and mental readiness at every stage.
Appointments can be made by calling 216.444.9133 or emailing wiser@ccf.org.
Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. Cleveland Clinic is consistently recognized in the U.S. and throughout the world for its expertise and care. Among Cleveland Clinic’s 82,600 employees worldwide are more than 5,786 salaried physicians and researchers, and 20,700 registered nurses and advanced practice providers, representing 140 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic is a 6,728-bed health system that includes a 173-acre main campus near downtown Cleveland, 23 hospitals, 280 outpatient facilities, including locations in northeast Ohio; Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; Toronto, Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and London, England. In 2024, there were 15.7 million outpatient encounters, 333,000 hospital admissions and observations, and 320,000 surgeries and procedures throughout Cleveland Clinic’s health system. Patients came for treatment from every state and 112 countries. Visit us at clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at x.com/CleClinicNews. News and resources are available at newsroom.clevelandclinic.org.
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