Kristen Holmes

Dr. Kristen Holmes is the Global Head of Human Performance and Principal Scientist at WHOOP, where she leads research and strategic partnerships focused on advancing human performance, health, and resilience through the integration of physiological data, behavioral science, and artificial intelligence. Her work has helped design and lead performance and health strategies across elite sport, healthcare, military, and corporate environments, including collaborations with organizations such as Ferrari, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), professional sports leagues (MLB, EPL), athletic departments, healthcare systems, and Fortune 500 companies.

A scientist, inventor, author, and former elite athlete and coach, Dr. Holmes is recognized as a leading voice in the science of human performance. Her research examines how sleep, circadian alignment, cardiovascular fitness, recovery, stress, and behavior influence physical, cognitive, and emotional outcomes across the lifespan. She has authored and collaborated on dozens of peer-reviewed publications and holds three patents focused on advancing the application of wearable technology and physiological monitoring, including innovations related to Heart Rate Variability Coefficient of Variation (HRVcv), physiological inflection patterns during pregnancy, and hormonal cycle symptom prediction.

Dr. Holmes is the author of Aligned: The Data-Driven Guide to Performance, Recovery, and Human Potential (Avery/Penguin Random House, August 25, 2026). Drawing from one of the world’s largest physiological datasets and more than two decades of experience in high-performance environments, the book demonstrates how recovery, biological alignment, and daily behaviors serve as the foundation for sustained excellence, resilience, and well-being.
Her pioneering work in women’s physiology and performance has contributed to new understanding of how physiological signals can be used to monitor health and adaptation throughout the lifespan. Through her leadership at WHOOP, she has helped translate complex biometric data into practical tools and interventions that improve health outcomes for both elite performers and everyday individuals.

In 2025, Dr. Holmes testified before the U.S. House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee on the role of recovery, performance, and preventive health in improving population health outcomes. She has become a sought-after advisor and speaker on the future of human performance, wearable technology, women’s health, and the application of data science to health and well-being.
Before her career in science and innovation, Dr. Holmes built a distinguished athletic and coaching career. At the University of Iowa, she was a three-time All-American, Big Ten Athlete of the Year, and two-sport athlete in field hockey and basketball. She went on to represent the United States as a member of the U.S. National Field Hockey Team for seven years before becoming one of the most successful coaches in Ivy League history, leading Princeton University to twelve conference championships in thirteen seasons and a National Championship. In 2021, she was inducted into the University of Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame.

Dr. Holmes holds a Ph.D. from the University of Queensland, an MIT Sloan Executive Certificate in Artificial Intelligence, an M.S. in Psychology and Sports Performance from the University of Arizona, and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Iowa.

Throughout her career, Dr. Holmes has pursued a singular mission: helping individuals and organizations unlock human potential by aligning biology, behavior, and purpose to create healthier, more resilient, and more meaningful lives.