Melissa Kay, MPH, MS, PhD

Melissa C. Kay, PhD, MS, MPH, RD, CLC, is an Assistant Professor in Pediatrics and Epidemiology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutrition at the Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina. She holds a Ph.D. in Nutrition Interventions and Policy with a minor in Epidemiology from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Dr. Kay’s research focuses on maternal and child nutrition, with a particular emphasis on early life obesity prevention and the impact of diet quality on health outcomes.  Dr. Kay has extensive involvement in research, publication, mentorship, and service within the field of nutrition and public health. She has contributed significantly to the field through her work on various projects, including the development of digital health interventions to improve diet quality among low-income families and the assessment of dietary patterns in infants and toddlers. These findings contribute to the understanding of how maternal and infant diet, digital health interventions, and supportive feeding practices can impact health outcomes and obesity prevention in early life. Dr. Kay’s work aims to bridge the gap between research and practice, ultimately improving health outcomes for vulnerable populations.