May May Leung

Biography 

Dr. May May Leung, PhD, RDN, is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Division of Nutrition Interventions, Communication, and Entrepreneurship at the Friedman School, where she leads research on community‑based health interventions and health communication strategies to improve nutrition and physical activity among underserved populations. Her work focuses on developing and evaluating innovative, interdisciplinary approaches—including digital health tools—to advance chronic disease prevention in diverse minority communities, grounded in community‑based participatory research that elevates local voices and strengthens culturally relevant program design.

Prior to coming to Tufts, Dr. Leung was an Associate Professor of Nutrition at Hunter College and also the Research Director of the Hunter College New York City Food Policy Center, where she oversaw the Center’s research initiatives, including NY20/20, a collaborative project across three academic food policy centers which examined the impact of COVID-19 on NYC’s food system.

Education

• Ph.D., 2010, Nutrition (Intervention and Policy focus), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• M.S., 1999, Nutritional Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst
• B.A., 1995, Psychology, University of Michigan – Ann Arbor

Specializations

Community Interventions and Behavior Change; Nutrition Communication; Nutrition Equity

Research Activities

• Dr. Leung is principal investigator of multiple community-based research projects, including a $2 million grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
• Principal Investigator, Project GAME ON!: Empowering urban children to engage in healthy behaviors to reduce obesity risk through an interactive digital comic tool