May 2015

May 6, 2015 • May 2015’s SoundBites features: Renowned Nutrition Scientist Speaks on Longevity; Nutrient Bar Results in Broadscale Health Improvements After Only Two Months; Eat More Produce, Reduce Cancer; and the Lettuce Eat Café

Nutrient Bar Results in Broadscale Health Improvements After Only Two Months

May 1, 2015 • A fruit-based micronutrient and fiber-dense supplement bar (the “CHORI-bar”), conceived by Drs. Bruce Ames and Mark K. Shigenaga at Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute (CHORI), was shown in clinical trials to improve metabolism in overweight/obese (OW/OB) otherwise healthy adults in ways that are consistent with reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Consumption of the bar for two months also reduced chronic inflammation, and initiated a reduction in weight and waist circumference. Decreased inflammation and improved weight and weight distribution can lower the risk of many chronic diseases.

UNC-Chapel Hill explores “Food for All” with 2015-2017 campus theme

April 30, 2015 • The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will come together at a common table when it examines food and food studies as its 2015-2017 university-wide academic theme. “Food for All: Local and Global Perspectives,” which builds on Carolina’s 2012-2015 “Water in Our World” focus on global water issues, will challenge all areas of the University to examine wide-ranging topics from food cultures and nutrition, to food security, world hunger, agricultural economics, resource management, sustainable development, climate change and international trade.

Just the Facts

Just the Facts

This story originally appeared on the UNC Gillings School of Public Health website. by George Spencer illustrations by Haley Hodges ’19 Andy Warhol never met William Hubbard or Jerry Mande, MPH ’83 (nutrition). But the pop artist who turned soup can labels into art...

Our science is complex, but the focus is clear: we do it for you!

Our science is complex, but the focus is clear: we do it for you!

Your nutritional needs are as unique as you are. They depend on things like your genes, microbes, and environment. We focus on understanding how these individualities affect the way nutrition works to address some of our most common medical concerns like cancer, heart...

Kohlmeier Co-edited Textbook selected as Core Title in Nutrition

Kohlmeier Co-edited Textbook selected as Core Title in Nutrition

Martin Kohlmeier’s book, Principles of Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics: Fundamentals for Individualized Nutrition, co-edited with Raffaele de Caterina and Alfredo Martinez, is among the books selected for Doody’s Core Titles in Health Sciences for 2023. This list...

About the NRI

Deborah F. Tate, PhD
Interim Director
Professor of Nutrition 

As a trailblazer in precision nutrition research, the UNC Nutrition Research Institute investigates the intricate interplay between nutrients, lifestyle behaviors, environmental influences, genetic and other biological factors. We’re dedicated to unraveling the mysteries of nutritional diversity among individuals. By leveraging top-tier scientific minds and cutting-edge genetic, metabolic, and digital tools, we’re poised to revolutionize personalized nutrition recommendations and the behavioral support tools needed for realizing healthier futures.

Building upon our legacy as a leader in fundamental and translational science, we’re expanding our reach into human clinical and community trials. I am determined to further this expansion, ensuring that we remain at the forefront of cutting-edge research both in our laboratories and within our communities.

The NRI is forging a path towards a healthier tomorrow for generations to come. Through this website, we aim to keep you informed about our fantastic people, latest developments, participation opportunities, milestones, and community engagements.

Deborah F. Tate, PhD

Core Values

Our Core Values are the shared values to which we commit ourselves for how we conduct our work at the NRI and the way we approach our mission and vision.

Collaboration

We work together to achieve collective and individual goals because we believe that multiple perspectives promote better outcomes.

Innovation

We are innovative and compassionate in our approach to complex issues in precision nutrition.

Cultural Stewardship

We seek to respect the unique qualities of each individual and to foster an environment where open inquiry and expression by all members of this institute are embraced.

Dedication

We are determined to excel in every aspect of our research enterprise.

Integrity

We conduct ourselves with integrity in all our scientific, business and community endeavors.

 

Research Excellence

We are responsible for conducting publicly and privately funded innovative research with excellence.

We Develop Precision Nutrition

The UNC Nutrition Research Institute is an internationally recognized center that conducts innovative basic and translational science studying how individual differences in requirements and responses to diet affect our individual nutritional needs. We believe that our advances in nutrition science are leading to successes in preventing or mitigating the negative effects of chronic diseases and aging and in improving human development, even prior to conception.        → Learn more about Precision Nutrition

UNC-Chapel Hill

The Nutrition Research Institute is part of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. We’re proud of our Carolina heritage and to represent UNC on the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis.

NC Research Campus

Located in Kannapolis just north of Charlotte, the North Carolina Research Campus brings together eight university research centers along with industry, government, and nonprofit partners to advance human health through nutrition. Together, scientists study precision nutrition and work to develop safer, more nutritious crops and foods.

Kannapolis, NC

Kannapolis, North Carolina, just north of Charlotte, is a growing city with deep roots in textile history and a strong focus on the future. Home to the North Carolina Research Campus, Kannapolis brings together universities, innovators, and community partners in a walkable downtown setting with parks, local dining, and year-round events.

Where We Are

UNC Nutrition Research Institute

500 Laureate Way
Kannapolis, NC 28081
704-250-5000

UNC Nutrition Research Institute

Research Spotlight

Choline, GLP-1s, and the Future of Precision Nutrition
“GLP-1 medications don’t just change your appetite. They also change how your body absorbs and handles nutrients,” noted Evan Paules, PhD, postdoctoral research fellow. “As these medications become more widely used, we need to understand how they might shift nutrient needs, including choline, so we can keep people healthy while they are on them.”

Precision Nutrition Training and Mentoring

The NRI is a center for precision nutrition training through programs for graduate and medical students, post-doctoral trainees, faculty, practicing physicians and other medical providers, registered dietitians, and industry professionals.

Research Spotlight

Evaluating the Evolving Real-World Adverse Events of GLP-1RAs Using FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS)
NRI Contributor: Stephen D. Hursting, PhD, MPH 

Obesity remains one of the most urgent public health challenges of our time, contributing to conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

GLP-1 receptor agonists have emerged as promising tools for obesity and weight management, offering new opportunities to improve cardiometabolic health. But as their use grows, so does the need to better understand their safety in real-world settings.

Research that transforms lives.
PUBLICATIONS FROM OUR RESEARCHERS

Nutri-epigenetics of Mitochondrial Function and Energy Homeostasis in Obesity

NRI Contributors: Saroja Voruganti, PhD and Lydia Goss, MS, RD

How nutrition-related epigenetic changes may disrupt mitochondrial function and energy homeostasis, helping drive obesity beyond the effects of genetics, diet, and physical activity alone.

Choline, Lipidomics, and MASLD: Insights From the CARDIA Study

NRI Contributors: Katie Meyer, ScD, MPH and Anju Lulla, PhD

Certain blood lipids and choline-related metabolites were linked to fatty liver disease, suggesting they may help explain risk and serve as possible biomarkers.

Holding the Line: Preventing Weight Gain in Emotional Eaters

NRI Contributors: Rachel Goode, PhD, MPH, LCSW, Deborah Tate, PhD, Ramine Alexander, PhD, MPH, Tyisha Harper, MBA, Julian Robles, Ana Paola Campos

Weight gain prevention is a critical component of comprehensive obesity care. Emotional eating may contribute to unwanted weight gain, increasing cardiometabolic risk factors among adults with obesity.