Mary McManamy

Dr. Mary McManamy has taught at Elon for 14 years, specializing in biochemistry and the chemistry of food and cooking. Mary earned her B.S. in chemistry at Mount Vernon Nazarene University and then went on to earn an M.A. in bioethics and a Ph.D. in chemistry, both from Case Western Reserve University. She completed her training as a postdoctoral fellow in the Center for AIDS Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Throughout her research, she has studied cell signaling pathways in prostate cancer, cystic fibrosis, and HIV. Her most recent research endeavors include the intersection of food, chemistry, and culture. Mary is driven by a passion for helping others experience wonder through science and has found food and cooking to be one of the most natural entry points. Mary teaches a course on the chemistry of food and cooking both on campus and in Florence, Italy for Elon students studying abroad. Mary’s soon-to-be released book, The Four Food Molecules, explores how understanding food’s fundamentals can help us engage more wisely and joyfully with what we eat.