Distinguished Professor of Nutrition, Emeritus
Fellow, Carolina Population Center
Dr. Bentley was on faculty in International Health at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University from 1985-98. Since 1998 she has been on faculty at the University of North Carolina, where she has held several leadership roles. Dr. Bentley’s research focuses on women and infant’s nutrition, infant and young child feeding, behavioral research on sexually transmitted diseases, HIV, and community-based interventions for nutrition and health. She has expertise in qualitative research methods and the application of these for program development and evaluation.
Research Projects
- Water, Food, and Health in San Cristóbal: The Healthy Family Study
- Food Environments in the Galápagos: Geographic and Behavioral Determinants of Diet and Health
- The Dual Burden of Disease in the Galápagos, Ecuador: An Interdisciplinary Study of Food and Water on Isabela Island
- Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies: The intergenerational effects of maternal stress in the Galápagos Islands
Publications
- Nicholas KM, Bentley ME, Terán E, Thompson AL. (2019). Water security in the Galápagos: Socioecological determinants and health implications. EcoHealth.
- Thompson AL, Nicholas KM, Watson E, Terán E, Bentley, ME. (2019). Water, food, and the dual burden of disease in Galápagos, Ecuador. American Journal of Human Biology.
- Houck KM, Terán E, Ochoa J, Zapata GN, Gomez AM, Parra R, Dvorquez D, Stewart JR, Bentley ME, Thompson, AL. (2019). Drinking water improvements and rates of urinary and gastrointestinal infections in Galápagos, Ecuador: Assessing household and community factors. American Journal of Human Biology, e23358.
- Pera, MF, Katz, BNH, & Bentley, ME. (2019). Dietary diversity, food security, and body image among women and children on San Cristobal Island, Galapagos. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 23(6), 830–838.
- Page, R, Bentley, ME, & Waldrop, J. (2013). People Live Here: Maternal and Child Health on Isla Isabela, Galapagos. In S. J. Walsh & C. F. Mena (Eds.), Science and Conservation in the Galapagos Islands: Frameworks & Perspectives (pp. 141–153). New York: Springer.