Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In this episode of Face to Face with Chancellor May, we dive into the urgent national conversation around maternal health equity, women’s health research and the impact of federally funded science on families and communities. Chancellor May sits down with Professor Leigh Ann Simmons from the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis to discuss structural bias and research gaps in women’s health, and how UC Davis is working to improve maternal health outcomes through community partnerships, NIH-funded training programs and transdisciplinary research teams.
0:42 Learn about Leigh Ann’s research in maternal health and health equity.
1:15 How are Yolo County community partners part of the research journey?
2:21 Why is listening to community groups essential in research and support?
3:15 National priorities in maternal health and where the US falls short among high-income countries.
3:50 Structural biases in maternal health and why they lead to poor health outcomes.
5:00 How do structural issues in medicine contribute to health disparities in women?
6:15 Lessons learned: Why is there a need to partner with community groups to solve health issues in research?
9:10 How do federal research grants provide economic support for communities and universities?
10:00 Importance of training and workforce programs in early career faculty and students across disciplines to help with science and clinical work.
12:20 Why mentor the next generation of scientists?
14:40 Hot Seat: Learn Leigh Ann’s favorite album (hint: she’s a Swiftie fan) and why Eleanor Roosevelt is the person she most admires.
17:30: Get to know the Chancellor’s most influential mentor throughout his personal and career journey.
18:40 How engineering models influence the Chancellor’s leadership approach.
About From Labs to Lives
In our From Labs to Lives series, UC Davis researchers describe the impact of their work and the consequences if federal funding for medical research were reduced or eliminated. Our research strengthens the U.S. economy and drives innovation in science and medicine. By finding new treatments and preventing illness, our work saves lives.
More at: https://www.ucdavis.edu/research/labs-to-lives?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=chancellor_fltl
About UC Davis Chancellor Gary S. May
Gary S. May became UC Davis’ seventh chancellor on Aug. 1, 2017. An accomplished scholar and engineer, May came to UC Davis from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
More at: https://leadership.ucdavis.edu/chancellor/gary-s-may?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=chancellor_fltl
Follow Chancellor May
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/chancellormay.bsky.social
Facebook: facebook.com/ChancellorMay
Instagram: instagram.com/chancellor.may
Twitter/X: https://x.com/chancellor_may
All UC Davis Podcasts and Shows
https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/podcasts-and-shows?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=chancellor_fltl
Check Out UC Davis
Website: https://www.ucdavis.edu/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=chancellor_fltl
Virtual campus tour: https://www.ucdavis.edu/about/visit/campus-virtual-tour/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=chancellor_fltl
About UC Davis
Since the beginning, we’ve outgrown expectations. Established in 1908 as a university farm, UC Davis has continually branched out, challenged the way things are done, and gained recognition for solving complex problems related to health, environment, culture and society. Our 5,300-acre campus borders the city of Davis, a vibrant college town of about 68,000 people in Yolo County.
UC Davis is among the most comprehensive campuses in the University of California system, with four colleges and six professional schools that offer over 100 undergraduate majors and more than 100 graduate and professional degrees. UC Davis enrolls about 40,000 students from over 110 countries and contributes at least $13 billion to the California economy each year. In the 2024-25 fiscal year, the university exceeded $1 billion in research funding for the third consecutive year, cementing its reputation as a tier one research university.
*Subscribe to UC Davis*
youtube.com/@UCDavis
#federalfunding #maternalhealth #healthequity
Tags
gray, mai, mya, mae, garry, ucdavis, gerry, maye, garey, chancelor, uc davies, u c davis, uc davus, uc davis chancellor, canceller, gary may, uc davis president, chancellor uc davis, ucd chancellor, university of california davis chancellor, uc chancellor, chancellor, chanselor, gary s may, gary may uc davis, chancellor may, chancellor gary s. may, chancellor gary may, uc davis chancellor may, gary s. may, goverment, helth, fedral, reserch, grans, medcal, freze, cutes, publc, fundng, pasued
In this episode of Face to Face with Chancellor May, we dive into the urgent national conversation around maternal health equity, women’s health research and the impact of federally funded science on families and communities. Chancellor May sits down with Professor Leigh Ann Simmons from the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis to discuss structural bias and research gaps in women’s health, and how UC Davis is working to improve maternal health outcomes through community partnerships, NIH-funded training programs and transdisciplinary research teams.
0:42 Learn about Leigh Ann’s research in maternal health and health equity.
1:15 How are Yolo County community partners part of the research journey?
2:21 Why is listening to community groups essential in research and support?
3:15 National priorities in maternal health and where the US falls short among high-income countries.
3:50 Structural biases in maternal health and why they lead to poor health outcomes.
5:00 How do structural issues in medicine contribute to health disparities in women?
6:15 Lessons learned: Why is there a need to partner with community groups to solve health issues in research?
9:10 How do federal research grants provide economic support for communities and universities?
10:00 Importance of training and workforce programs in early career faculty and students across disciplines to help with science and clinical work.
12:20 Why mentor the next generation of scientists?
14:40 Hot Seat: Learn Leigh Ann’s favorite album (hint: she’s a Swiftie fan) and why Eleanor Roosevelt is the person she most admires.
17:30: Get to know the Chancellor’s most influential mentor throughout his personal and career journey.
18:40 How engineering models influence the Chancellor’s leadership approach.
About From Labs to Lives
In our From Labs to Lives series, UC Davis researchers describe the impact of their work and the consequences if federal funding for medical research were reduced or eliminated. Our research strengthens the U.S. economy and drives innovation in science and medicine. By finding new treatments and preventing illness, our work saves lives.
More at: https://www.ucdavis.edu/research/labs-to-lives?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=chancellor_fltl
About UC Davis Chancellor Gary S. May
Gary S. May became UC Davis’ seventh chancellor on Aug. 1, 2017. An accomplished scholar and engineer, May came to UC Davis from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
More at: https://leadership.ucdavis.edu/chancellor/gary-s-may?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=chancellor_fltl
Follow Chancellor May
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/chancellormay.bsky.social
Facebook: facebook.com/ChancellorMay
Instagram: instagram.com/chancellor.may
Twitter/X: https://x.com/chancellor_may
All UC Davis Podcasts and Shows
https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/podcasts-and-shows?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=chancellor_fltl
Check Out UC Davis
Website: https://www.ucdavis.edu/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=chancellor_fltl
Virtual campus tour: https://www.ucdavis.edu/about/visit/campus-virtual-tour/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=chancellor_fltl
About UC Davis
Since the beginning, we’ve outgrown expectations. Established in 1908 as a university farm, UC Davis has continually branched out, challenged the way things are done, and gained recognition for solving complex problems related to health, environment, culture and society. Our 5,300-acre campus borders the city of Davis, a vibrant college town of about 68,000 people in Yolo County.
UC Davis is among the most comprehensive campuses in the University of California system, with four colleges and six professional schools that offer over 100 undergraduate majors and more than 100 graduate and professional degrees. UC Davis enrolls about 40,000 students from over 110 countries and contributes at least $13 billion to the California economy each year. In the 2024-25 fiscal year, the university exceeded $1 billion in research funding for the third consecutive year, cementing its reputation as a tier one research university.
*Subscribe to UC Davis*
youtube.com/@UCDavis
#federalfunding #maternalhealth #healthequity
Tags
gray, mai, mya, mae, garry, ucdavis, gerry, maye, garey, chancelor, uc davies, u c davis, uc davus, uc davis chancellor, canceller, gary may, uc davis president, chancellor uc davis, ucd chancellor, university of california davis chancellor, uc chancellor, chancellor, chanselor, gary s may, gary may uc davis, chancellor may, chancellor gary s. may, chancellor gary may, uc davis chancellor may, gary s. may, goverment, helth, fedral, reserch, grans, medcal, freze, cutes, publc, fundng, pasued
