May is a qualified veterinarian from Japan with a PhD in farm animal behaviour and welfare and MSc in applied animal behaviour and welfare. She joined the Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Security and EPIC (Scottish Government’s Centre for Expertise in Animal Disease Outbreaks) in July 2018 as a post-doctoral research fellow. She works in the area of exotic disease outbreak contingency planning, coordination and communication across the science-policy interface. Her role involves collaboration with policy-makers and scientists, including epidemiologists, social scientists, economists and mathematical modellers in a multi-partner consortium to provide high quality advice for exotic animal disease preparedness and animal health policy.