Biography

Carl May is a behavioral and implementation scientist whose work bridges sociology, health technologies, and human relations in healthcare systems across both high- and low/middle-income countries. Over the past two decades, he has developed influential mid-range theories—including Normalization Process Theory, which explains how new practices become embedded in health systems, and Burden of Treatment Theory, which examines the demands placed on patients and caregivers by chronic care. His research spans applied evaluations within trials, studies of professional–patient interactions, and broader analyses of socio-technical change and human agency under constraint. He has collaborated widely in the UK, US, and internationally, and is a Fellow of the UK Academy of Social Sciences, a former ESRC Research Fellow, and an NIHR Senior Investigator.