Dr. Mays Imad is a neuroscientist and a nationally recognized expert on trauma-informed teaching and learning. She passionately advocates for institutions to make mental health a top priority and to systematically support the education of the whole student.
An associate professor at Connecticut College, Dr. Imad is interested in understanding the social determinants of student well-being and success, and conducts research on emotions, biofeedback, learning, and pedagogy. Her work reflects a deep commitment to justice in and through education. With fervor, she advocates for institutions to pay close attention to trauma and to prioritize healing, repair, and intergenerational well-being.
Her academic journey began at the University of Michigan–Dearborn, where she pursued philosophy and minored in chemistry. She earned a doctoral degree in cellular and clinical neurobiology, with a minor in biomedical engineering sciences, from Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit. After a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Arizona's Department of Neuroscience, she joined Pima Community College (PCC), teaching a variety of biology-related subjects. During her tenure at PCC, she founded its Teaching & Learning Center.
Outside of the classroom, Dr. Imad works with faculty members across disciplines at her own institution and across the country to promote inclusive, equitable, and contextual education—all rooted in the latest research on the neurobiology of learning.