Dr. Linda May is a tenured Professor at East Carolina University (ECU) in Greenville, North Carolina. She is in the Department of Kinesiology for Health and Human Performance as well as an adjunct faculty member in Obstetrics and Gynecology for the Brody School of Medicine. She is the Director of the Human Performance Lab at ECU in Greenville, NC. As the Chair and Co-founder of the American College of Sports Medicine Pregnancy and Postpartum Special Interest Group and co-Chair of the Physical Activity in Pregnancy and Postpartum Special Interest Group for the European Congress of Sports Science, she actively promotes physical activity during and after pregnancy for improved maternal, placental, and child health. 

Dr. May conducts research on the influence of different types of exercise (and other exposures, diet) throughout pregnancy on maternal, placental, and child cell and whole-body health outcomes before and after birth. Her research is presented in worldwide media outlets, including the New York Times, Good Morning America, Tehran Times, podcasts, and webinars. Dr. May’s lab was ranked #7 worldwide; she has published numerous works in the field of exercise during pregnancy, such as one book with another 2 being updated now, 6 book chapters, and 100+ peer-reviewed articles.  Dr. May’s lab has received funds from the American Heart Association, NIH, BlueCross BlueShield, Thrasher Foundation, Gerber Foundation, DEXCOM, etc. Her program for pregnant and postpartum women is supported by Brooks, Inc as well. She runs a grant-funded lab and enjoys mentoring her funded postdoctoral fellows, as well as OB residents, graduate students at the PhD, medical, master’s, and undergraduate levels. She is a member of professional organizations such as the  American Heart Association, ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine), CSEP (Canadian Society of Exercise Physiologists), European Congress of Sports Science, US Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD), International Society of Physical Activity, and the International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity.  

She delivers numerous presentations on maternal and child health, both locally and internationally, and has won awards, including the ECU 2025 Trendsetter Research award. She enjoys helping others and mentoring students to share her passion. Dr. May is involved in community service to help pregnant and postpartum women as well. Her passion is for all babies to be born healthy and on time.