Christy Avery

Christy Avery, PhD, is a Professor of Epidemiology at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. She leads the Cardiovascular Epidemiology Program and co-leads the UNC CVD Genetic Epidemiology Lab. Her research focuses on genomics, gene-environment interactions, and causal inference in cardiovascular diseases, with a particular emphasis on metabolomics and bioactive lipids. Avery teaches courses on epidemiologic data analysis and cardiovascular epidemiology.

Education:

• PhD in Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2007
• MPH in Epidemiology, University of Michigan, 2003
• Bachelor of Science in Human Biology, Michigan State University, 1999

Research Interests: Her work spans cardiovascular disease epidemiology, including heart failure, genetic epidemiology, pharmacogenomics, and environmental health. She emphasizes translation-oriented methods to assess disease burden in diverse populations.

Awards:

• 2025-26 Fulbright-University of Leeds Distinguished Scholar Award
• 2021 Health Teaching Excellence and Innovation Award
• 2015 American Heart Association’s Sandra Daugherty Award
• 2016 AHA/ASA Research Leaders Academy Invitee

Grants & Advising: Leads the CVD Genetic Epidemiology Lab and collaborates internationally. Her Fulbright project investigates genetic risk stratification for cardiovascular complications in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. She advises students in epidemiology and public health leadership.

Labs/Teams: Co-leads the UNC CVD Genetic Epidemiology Lab and directs the cardiovascular epidemiology program at Gillings. Active in global health initiatives and interdisciplinary research teams.