May 28, 2019 | May News, News
January 11, 2019 – “I’ve been called ‘tenacious’,” says Philip A. May, PhD, with a hint of humor. It’s an understatement for the man who relentlessly pursues data that shed light on important public health issues across the United States and around the globe. May, professor of nutrition at the UNC Nutrition Research Institute (NRI) and in the Department of Nutrition at the Gillings School of Global Public Health at UNC-Chapel Hill, has been a demographer and epidemiologist for the better part of 50 years. He calls his style of research “shoe-leather” epidemiology, meaning that he gathers information for studies by getting out in the field and immersing himself in communities to really know the people in his studies. For nearly 30 of those years, May’s focus has been on learning about the often-dire effects and alarmingly high prevalence of fetal alcohol exposure.
December 19, 2016 | May News, News, Smith News
January 1, 2017 • Dr. Phil May’s research group at the NRI studies the prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) in humans. The recent addition to the NRI faculty of Dr. Susan Smith now provides an avenue toward understanding how maternal nutrition might affect the relationship between alcohol and FASD through the use of animal models. Two recent papers from these research groups illustrates this synergy […]
September 7, 2016 | Community News, May News, News, Research News
September 7, 2016 • Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder is the largest preventable cause of developmental disabilities in the US, and studies show it is far more common than previously suspected, especially in certain populations. Experts explain how better prevention efforts could greatly reduce a wide variety of social problems.
March 28, 2016 | Community News, EOY2016, Hursting News, May News, News, Research News
March 28, 2016 • Promising work is underway in the laboratory of Dr. Stephen Hursting at the NRI to identify dietary interventions that can reduce the risk of cancer. Omega-3 fatty acids are well known anti-inflammatory dietary supplements. Because inflammation is associated with cancer, Hursting is investigating whether these supplements can reduce risk of developing cancer.
February 17, 2016 | Community News, May News, News, Research News, Uncategorized
February 17, 2016 • Watch an interview with Dr. Philip May on Time Warner Cable News. Dr. May is an expert in the field of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and the epidemiology of a number of health-related behaviors.
November 24, 2015 | Community News, EOY2016, May News, News, pub-brain, pub-zeisel, pub-zeisel-brain, reading, Research News, Zeisel News
November 24, 2015 • From the desk of: David Horita, Ph.D.
THE STUDY
In a recently published paper1, NRI investigator Phil May and colleagues showed that the prevalence of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and partial fetal alcohol syndrome (PFAS) is two to three times higher than previously estimated.
Dr. May’s study differs from most FAS prevalence studies in its use of active case ascertainment testing methods to estimate prevalence. This technique includes developmental testing of the child and detailed one-on-one interviews of the mother. The interview questions covered alcohol use during pregnancy, but also asked questions related to secondary factors, such as overall drinking history, marital status; socioeconomic status, and diet/nutrition. This approach is much more labor-intensive than the more common survey approach that relies on self-reported alcohol use information. However, it is also more accurate: self-reported alcohol usage surveys often underestimate FAS because of the stigma of drinking during pregnancy.
