Two NRI investigators are among six recipients of recent seed-funding vouchers awarded by the Duke University MURDOCK Study, a research partner of the North Carolina Research Campus (NCRC) in Kannapolis. Saroja Voruganti, PhD, and Manya Warrier, PhD, each received $10,000 to help pay for the services and capabilities of the David H. Murdock Research Institute, located on the NCRC, which offers scientific expertise and advanced instrumentation to collaborators focused on transforming science at the intersection of human health, nutrition and agriculture.
The six $10,000 vouchers, part of the competitive MURDOCK-NCRC Seed Funding Voucher Program, have been awarded to these recipients:
- Saroja Voruganti, PhD, UNC Nutrition Research Institute “A pilot study to identify polymorphisms associated with hyperuricemia risk”
- Manya Warrier, PhD, UNC Nutrition Research Institute “Association of betaine and plasma metabolites in obesity and diabetes”
- Kevin Knagge, PhD, David H. Murdock Research Institute (DHMRI) “Exhaled breath analysis for identification of high-risk smokers in lung cancer screening population”
- Nowlan Freese, PhD, UNC-Charlotte “Role of alternative splicing and methylation in salinity tolerance of rice”
- Renaud Warin, PhD, and Jennifer McBride, NC A&T University “Modulation of natural killer cells chemopreventative properties by dietary isothiocyanates”
- Mary Ann Lila, PhD, and Renee Strauch, PhD, NC State University Plants for Human Health Institute (PHHI), “Identification of fruit-derived polyphenolic metabolites in human plasma”
A half-day symposium will be planned for funded investigators to present and display their work.
