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Specializing In
- Alzheimer's Disease
- Memory Loss
- Sleep Disorders
Biography
I am a physician scientist in the field of sleep medicine in aging and brain function. Using combined polysomnogram and novel neuroimaging technology, I aim to identify potential sleep biomarkers to investigate the mechanism of progression from normal aging to Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) or dementia. I also investigate the impact of sleep on cognitive/affective function or behavior abnormality in various neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders.
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Professional Summary
Education & Certifications
- Fellowship: Baylor College of Medicine (2006) TX
- Residency: Baylor College of Medicine (2005) TX
- Fellowship: Stanford University Sleep Medicine Fellowship (2014) CA
- Board Certification: American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Epilepsy (2013)
- Board Certification: American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Clinical Neurophysiology (2009)
- Board Certification: American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Neurology (2007)
- Board Certification: American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Sleep Medicine (2007)
- Internship: St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center (2002) NY
- Medical Education: Kyoto University, Faculty of Medicine (1997) Japan
Publications
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Narcolepsy in African Americans
Kawai, M., O'Hara, R., Einen, M., Lin, L., & Mignot, E. (2015). Narcolepsy in African Americans. SLEEP, 38(11), 1673–81. -
Five-Minute Awake Snoring Test for Determining CPAP Pressures (Five-Minute CPAP Test): A Pilot Study
Camacho, M., Ruoff, C. M., Kawai, M., Modi, R., Arbee, J., Hekmat, A., … Kushida, C. A. (2016). Five-Minute Awake Snoring Test for Determining CPAP Pressures (Five-Minute CPAP Test): A Pilot Study. Sleep Disorders, 2016. -
Five-Minute Awake Snoring Test for Determining CPAP Pressures (Five-Minute CPAP Test): A Pilot Study.
Camacho, M., Ruoff, C. M., Kawai, M., Modi, R., Arbee, J., Hekmat, A., … Kushida, C. A. (2016). Five-Minute Awake Snoring Test for Determining CPAP Pressures (Five-Minute CPAP Test): A Pilot Study. Sleep Disorders, 2016, 7380874-? -
Delta Activity at Sleep Onset and Cognitive Performance in Community-Dwelling Older Adults
Kawai, M., Beaudreau, S. A., Gould, C. E., Hantke, N. C., Jordan, J. T., & O'Hara, R. (2016). Delta Activity at Sleep Onset and Cognitive Performance in Community-Dwelling Older Adults. SLEEP, 39(4), 907–14. -
Delta Activity at Sleep Onset and Cognitive Performance in Community-Dwelling Older Adults.
Kawai, M., Beaudreau, S. A., Gould, C. E., Hantke, N. C., Jordan, J. T., & O'Hara, R. (2016). Delta Activity at Sleep Onset and Cognitive Performance in Community-Dwelling Older Adults. Sleep, 39(4), 907–14. -
Longitudinal association of delta activity at sleep onset with cognitive and affective function in community-dwelling older adults.
Kawai, M., Beaudreau, S. A., Gould, C. E., Hantke, N. C., Cotto, I., Jordan, J. T., … O'Hara, R. (2016). Longitudinal association of delta activity at sleep onset with cognitive and affective function in community-dwelling older adults. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 31(10), 1124–35. -
Tonsillectomy for adult obstructive sleep apnea: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Camacho, M., Li, D., Kawai, M., Zaghi, S., Teixeira, J., Senchak, A. J., … Certal, V. (2016). Tonsillectomy for adult obstructive sleep apnea: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Laryngoscope, 126(9), 2176–86. -
Association of Anxiety Symptom Clusters with Sleep Quality and Daytime Sleepiness.
Gould, C. E., Spira, A. P., Liou-Johnson, V., Cassidy-Eagle, E., Kawai, M., Mashal, N., … Beaudreau, S. A. (2017). Association of Anxiety Symptom Clusters with Sleep Quality and Daytime Sleepiness. Journals of Gerontology. Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences. -
Subjective, but Not Objective Sleep is Associated with Subsyndromal Anxiety and Depression in Community-Dwelling Older Adults
Gould, C. E., Karna, R., Jordan, J., Kawai, M., Hirst, R., Hantke, N., … O'Hara, R. (2018). Subjective, but Not Objective Sleep is Associated with Subsyndromal Anxiety and Depression in Community-Dwelling Older Adults. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. -
Subjective but Not Objective Sleep is Associated with Subsyndromal Anxiety and Depression in Community-Dwelling Older Adults.
Gould, C. E., Karna, R., Jordan, J., Kawai, M., Hirst, R., Hantke, N., … O'Hara, R. (2018). Subjective but Not Objective Sleep is Associated with Subsyndromal Anxiety and Depression in Community-Dwelling Older Adults. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry : Official Journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. -
Narcolepsy in African Americans.
Kawai, M., O'Hara, R., Einen, M., Lin, L., & Mignot, E. (2015). Narcolepsy in African Americans. Sleep, 38(11), 1673–81. -
ULTRADIAN CYCLE OF SLOW-WAVE ACTIVITY IN OLDER ADULTS.
Kawai, M., Schneider, L., & O'Hara, R. (2019). ULTRADIAN CYCLE OF SLOW-WAVE ACTIVITY IN OLDER ADULTS. SLEEP, 42. -
The 5-HTTLPR Long, not Short, Allele Predicts Two-year Longitudinal Increases in Cortisol and Declines in Verbal Memory in Older Adults.
Hirst, R. B., Jordan, J. T., Miryam Schussler-Fiorenza Rose, S., Schneider, L., Kawai, M., Gould, C., … O'Hara, R. (2020). The 5-HTTLPR Long, not Short, Allele Predicts Two-year Longitudinal Increases in Cortisol and Declines in Verbal Memory in Older Adults. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.
Practice Locations
Sleep Medicine Center Redwood City, CA
Redwood City, CA
Sleep Medicine Center
450 Broadway Street, Pavilion B, 2nd Floor, MC 5730
Redwood City , CA 94063
Make An Appointment More Clinic Information » Getting Here »Important Information about Our Organizations and Physician Affiliation
Stanford Health Care, Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley, and Stanford Medicine Partners are each independent nonprofit organizations that are affiliated with but separate from each other and from Stanford University. The physicians who provide care at facilities operated by Stanford Health Care, Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley, and Stanford Medicine Partners are faculty, foundation, or community physicians who are not employees, representatives, or agents of Stanford Health Care, Stanford Health Care Tri- Valley, or Stanford Medicine Partners. Stanford Health Care, Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley, and Stanford Medicine Partners do not exercise control over the care provided by such faculty, foundation, and community physicians and are not responsible for their actions.
Patient Reviews
(180 reviews)
This video visit is very helpful for me. Dr Kawai explained to me about my concern with Central AI, my worry is gone. And adjusted my CPAP to address the issues of Central AI and Stuffy nose, I am so happy about this visit.
Very informative
I like Dr. Kawai very much. He knows what he is talking about and makes me feel very comfortable with the information he gives me.
Everyone I spoke to was knowledgeable and kind
He is absolutely amazing!
Very helpful, pleasant and professional.
Thank you Dr;
I appreciate you for your time and sending proscription very fast to supper care .
With Best regards.
Very professional and informative on describing the sleep therapy and the numbers that are received. Would highly recommend for any patient.
Dr Kawai is an excellent sleep, specialist medical doctor. He took the time to go through the details sleep study report with me. He Explained an answered all my questions regarding the test results. He has a very pleasant personality to his patient I highly recommend him to anyone who have obstructive sleep apnea like me.
He has helped me sleep every night.
I am very satisfied with the video visit.
Dr Kawai is helpful. He's made adjustments to my CPAP machine's settings that have resolved some of my problems using CPAP and made a significant difference in my willingness to continue therapy. He has offered useful suggestions that have helped me to think about the therapy, and recommended equipment that might work better for me. He shared that he too uses CPAP and I have to admit that for me, that gave him more credibility, and increased my willingness to really hear what he had to say.
Thanks. I was late and he squeezed me in anyway. I appreciate it. Also very short and efficient visit.
I have had very good interactions with Dr. Kawai. However, whoever answers his My Health comments on prescriptions is sometimes difficult to work with.
He's very easy to talk to and to understand. He's very pleasant.
An excellent physician, with lots of knowledge about the sleep issues that we were discussing. He was concerned about technical adjustments to the CPAP machine and is requesting an earlier appointment than we had last year so that it can be adjusted if necessary due to my weight loss. Just good to have somebody who will listen and actually provide me with the answers and the assistance that I need. Thank you.
enjoyed working with him New patient second visit
He is the best! He is so knowledgeable and explains everything so clearly and completely. Dr. Kawai really cares about me as a patient and a person.!
Excellent Doctor!
He was great! I do not have any complaints or suggestions. He took plenty of time answering my questions and explaining my results, including showing me graphs. He was patient with my interruptions! He was very personable and explained things so I could understand my situation. He has a good sense of humor which is a plus!
The doctor was very focused and knowledgeable, and made good suggestions.
he's nice and friendly.
He is very pleasant and collaborative, and a good listener.
Professional team , created a safe place to get my care.
Excellent communicator, practical, patient focused and very knowledgeable.
He is very kind and ready to answer my questions and take time to explains
The doctor was kind, knowledgeable, attentive, and I really felt listen to
Very efficient and knowledgeable
I felt very comfortable speaking to Dr. Kawai. He listened well, assured me that he understands my concerns, and laid clear foundation on how we will tackle the issue together. I came out with great sense of relief and confidence that my issues are in good hands.
Dr. Makoto Kawai is great. He heard me, discussed the history of my sleepiness and recommended few options that may help. I am happy with the solution he proposed as the most effective.
exceptional
He is an excellent doctor.
Dr. Kawai was very attentive and listened carefully to what I had to say. We had a good discussion about my care and equipment. This is my second video visit with Dr. Kawai and I hope to see him again next year.
First time seeing Dr. Kawai and he seems to be very caring so I booked my next visit with him as well.
Dr Kawai was very helpful and we were able to reset my CPap.
Thank you.
Very likely. Excellent visit with Dr.
I was pleased to "recognize" the pleasant, engaged Dr. Kawai whom I had met at my initial (in-person) visit on 5/10. At prior video visits he had seemed a bit rushed and stressed, but on 5/10 he seemed very present and more able to listen.
He covered all the aspects of the concern I presented.
Great attentive doctor!
He was clear in the explanation of my sleep apnea case,, my options and how the machine works.
Great provider
Excellent, thoughtful provider -
Great job
Continued excellent care !
Dr. Makoto Kawai is an excellent physician and clinician.
I would recommend him highly.
Excellent, compassionate, thorough, and highly skilled.
Excellent in all aspect. A+
Dr. Kawai seems knowledgeable, personable, and committed to helping patients.
He has always been a great Dr.
Dr Kawai is a very good doctor who explains things well and looks out for the best on behalf of the patient.
excellent Doctor
Dr. Makoto Kawai seems kind, thorough, compassionate, concerned and understanding.
Dr. Kawai is thorough, patient, and a true professional. I've appreciated our association over the past years, in person and online.
He seemed nice and knowledgeable.
Greatly appreciated his concern and understanding.
Wonderful doctor. Very attentive, cheerful, easy talk to -
Dr. Makoto Kawai is an excellent physician and a very compassionate and understanding person. I feel very blessed to be his patient.
Excellent consult w Dr Kawai - discussed sleep apnea, CPAP in general,, and specific to my Tx
Very knowledgeable and professional!
Dr. Kawai offered a reasonable treatment plan with a clear rationale, and was responsive to most of my concerns.
There were times when I had the impression that, like many younger doctors, he prioritized statistical/aggregate information over individual patient data. I find it more helpful when doctors can integrate these sources of information.
Dr. Kawai is very good he listens. Also give good advice. I would recommend him.
Doctor was very patient and accommodating as we came late for the appointment.
patient. attentive. knowledgeable
The doctor listened well and considered my concerns.
Very Satisfied with the care I received today
He was pleasant, gentle, explained things in a helpful way, and treatment plan made sense to me.
He was very thorough and knowledgeable
Thank you for the detailed review and advice!
Dr Kawai at the sleep clinic was very helpful, patient and thorough
It was a very helpful visit. Prompt timing, careful help leading me to next steps
The medical personnel was efficient and courteous
My issue is not resolved yet. I’m waiting for the CPAP supplier to contact me
Dr Kawai is excellent. He gave valuable insight. He has always been punctual, succinct yet thorough.
Dr Kawai is very patient and knowledgeable
he takes his time, listens and addresses all my questions and concerns. I highly recommend him
He was fine.
Dr. Kawai is excellent.
(1) He's extremely knowledgeable about sleep medicine and related issues, e.g. fatigue arising from autoimmune disorders.
(2) He's a precise communicator. I came away with clear instructions and clear options for future care.
(3) He's kind. I'd had some bad news recently on an issue that bears on sleep and he patiently gave me a thoughtful, practical and helpful framework with which to deal with it.
Very caring and thorough
Wonderful doctor, easy going, thoughtful, extremely professional.
Dr. Kawai listens well and is very responsive. He works with you to address concerns. I recommended him to another person with sleep apnea & that person is also very satisfied with him. I would recommend him to others who need to see a sleep medicine doctor.
Dr Kawai is one of the best doctor that I have encountered, with EXCELLENT knowledge!
He is the best doctor in the world
He is a nice and professional doctor.
Pleasant, informative clinical staff.
Dr. Kawai is always a pleasure with whom to interact. We had a very good video visit and all questions were answered with succinctness and professionalism. I'm lucky to have him as my doctor.
He is very easy to communicate with and interested in your care.
He is thoughtful and deliberate while being relaxed and helpful. Great combo.
Yes, Dr. Kawai is a compassionate and skilled physician. I appreciate his thorough care and I think he is an asset to the Stanford Sleep
Disorder team.
Great doctor
Great doctor. Will see Dr. Kawai again next annual follow-up visit.
Thank you for a helpful and thoughtful visit. I appreciate the time you took to talk with me and I appreciate all your knowledge and insights.
The video visit was very helpful since I could show you results of blood tests, sleep log, etc. I'm glad this call was on video actually, even though it would be nice to meet you in person.
Thanks!
He listens very well and I have confidence in him......also very pleasant.
He is good doctor
I think he’s a wonderful doctor. Very smart and experienced and I trust in his capabilities 100%. He’s easy to talk with, communicates well, and I feel lucky to have him.
Video visit was very efficient and all my questions were answered. This is effective communication and very productive.
Very helpful! I am satisfied with the visit.
He seems very competent. I will know more as the testing goes on.
I’ve only had one virtual visit with him and he was very nice and knowledgeable .. he also responded to a message I sent him through my health and I was grateful for that
Helpful in suggesting what I should do.
Very helpful and succinct. Listens (unlike my last sleep doctor) to what you are saying. Great!
Good job!
I've seen Dr. Kawai both in person and via telemedicine. I have had good experiences both ways. I will probably want to continue video visits after the pandemic to save me the drive to his office.
Great doctor! Very attentive and caring.
He is amazing. He understands so many diseases and understands what the patient goes through and how good sleep would help them. He is the best!
Very grateful
Based on my experience, Dr Kawai is an EXCELLENT doctor who is super knowledgeable, and I am lucky to receive his expertise to help navigate my sleep disorder.
Dr. Kawai was very helpful and straightforward in answering all my questions, and patient in addressing my concerns. I am pleased and honored to have him involved in my case.
So convenient -thank you!!
He was excellent
Very knowledgeable and communicative. I appreciated the good explanations.
Friendly, relaxed, knowledgeable, good listener.
Really like Dr. Kawai.. he explains things very well and takes time with me and seems very knowledgeable..
good patient intractions
Great manner and personality, adjusted the visit to suit my particular needs. Very adept at the video visit format.
Very pleasant ... good listener
This was a very productive visit. My sleep machine works better then it ever has. Thank you very much Doctor.
Dr. Kawai was personable and professional. He started the meeting ahead of schedule and answered my questions to my satisfaction. He followed through on sending the prescription to my CPAP supplier following our meeting.
He is very good doctor and very detail
Answered all questions
Thank you
Dr. Kawai was very pleasant and easy to talk to. He was familiar with my records/case and answered all of my questions. The video visit was a good experience.
He is good doctor. I am in his good hand
I appreciate Dr Kawai. He never seems to rush me through the call, very thorough when he explains things. He’s a wonderful doctor.
Very nice and knowledgeable.
He is very easy to talk with, explained everything very well. I really recommend him.
Excellent physician , very clear and easy to follow and understanding.
Very nice video visit. Dr Kawai was very caring about my concerns, and clear in his explanations. He was on time. I look forward to seeing him again.
Thanks for the help
Dr Makoto Kawai was very attentive and listened to all my questions and comments. I like that he works with the patient to determine what is best protocol moving forward and discusses his knowledge and expertise so the patient can understand.
I appreciate that he answers all my questions, and he explains in a way that’s easy to understand.
I look forward to having future appointments with you in person as soon as you feel comfortable.
He was very calm and explained the process very well. He was affable
Excellent listener and communicator and genuinely concerned with helping me.
The doctor was very thorough in understanding my reasons for the visit. He educated me to the context of my case and how it's related to age, jaw size and overbite. I am hopeful that I will make progress on my sleep issues with this doctor.
Dr. Makoto Kawai, at my request, listened to my lungs, even though he is not a pulmonologist. He said they didn't sound right, and he referred me on to others. The result was lung cancer surgery in January 2020. I'm very grateful to Dr. Kawai!!!
My dr. was very friendly & very concerned about my health.
Dr Kawai is the best.
Very pleased. Thank you.
I have difficulty to understand Dr. Kawai.
I take no meds for this condition. I am on a CPAP, but that's not a med. Dr. Kawai interpreted my memory test from the VA for me & answered all of my questions. He asked if my stomach was bloated in the morning &, when I told him it was, he adjusted my CPAP so that it would still be effective, but not blast air into my stomach during my sleep. He really cares, really listens to you, gives great medical advice & next steps. I am very grateful to have Dr. Kawai as my doctor.
very positive
Dr Kawaii is great !
Dr. Kawai was extremely kind, knowledgeable & extremely patient. He took the time to answer my questions & go over all of my results. I walked away feeling very confident in knowing next steps.
I feel blessed to have been referred to Dr. Kawai. Still not sure how that happened but it is a happy coincidence.
Dr. Kawai was very caring and understood my needs. He gave me very helpful information about CPAP machine and where to go. I'm sorry that I'm moving and can't continue seeing him. this was the first time I've seen him but he was very sincere and genuinely cares about his patients.
Dr. Kawai was outstanding! I finally felt like someone understood my medical issues.
I was very impressed with this physician.
Dr. Kawai is excellent. Everyone is nice. Problem with coordination with equipment, provider may be Stanford's or company's, or both but more attention to follow up by staff is necessary. My wife left the sleep clinic because of IMPOSSIBILITY of getting calls.
Helpful, friendly, informative, listens well. Doesn't ask probing questions, not proactive.
Dr. Kawai went out of his way to resolve a problem with the DME provider.
Dr is very easy to talk to and discuss disease process.
I think Dr. Kawai is excellent and I have much confidence in his care. He is also knowledgeable and personable.
Absolutely the best care I've had in 20+ yrs. since know I had sleep apnea.
Dr Kawai is exceptional: very patient and supplied detailed answers to my questions... have complete confidence in him
Dr. Kawai was courteous, knowledgeable & of course, professional. He took plenty of time to explain some things I didn't previously know about the sleep apnea equipment and the monitoring of the equipment.
Dr. Barwick is great, very helpful.
best detailed explanation, ever, from a physician...highly recommend!
sleep staff is excellent - far superior to Palo Alto medical foundation
Excellent care in all respects.
Dr. Kawai has been really great in many aspects, like those listened above & beyond! He is probably one of the 3-5 best doctors I've seen in the past 3-4 years.
Dr. Kawai was terrific - one of the best visits I ever had at Stanford Health
His dedication to the patient's well being was unusually high.
Excellent. Was well prepared for the visit
doctor took time and we discussed alternative approaches to treatment and agree on something that I liked.
Dr Kawai is the best Doctor in the Center
It was very enjoyable to work with Dr Kawai.
He was awesome!
very reassuring. Really good bedside manners. Confident but not cocky. Liked him alot.
The doctor was excellent!!!!!
Dr. Kawaii was excellent.
The doctor was very knowledgable and showed great concern for my problems. He was willing to start my appointment early. We both had a challenge communicating but he did an excellent job communicating when he didn't understand what I was saying.
He is just about my favorite physician. He takes time, he explains everything, he listens to and answers my questions and treats me thoroughly and with respect.
Dr. kawai was outstanding
Very Professional
I found the Sleep Center heavily pushing me down the path of getting a CPAP machine. I have problems, as a healthy 48 year old, tethering myself to a machine to sleep for the rest of my life. I also thought the sleep study was highly invasive and I don't have great confidence in the results it gave, given how uncomfortable the experience was.
Doctor was very nice and showed genuine concern for patient.
Dr. Kawai was fantastic during the visit. All of the doctors have been great.
Best of the group I have met so far: professional and helped me understand my situation
Good experience.
Care provider was very nice.
Dr Kawai best dr I've ever had the pleasure of dealing with. VERY professional and helpful and CARING; Genuine!!
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