Come visit the UNC Nutrition Research Institute for a taste test!  Learn about how genetics can affect how certain foods taste to us.  Our “tongues-on” activity will allow your curiosity to be stimulated along with your taste buds. 

You will interact with our research staff to explore how individual differences play a part in our day-to-day choices. Participants may leave with some new ideas and recipes for healthy foods to try at home. Children will be encouraged to express their “artistic taste preferences” on the Cheatham Nutrition & Cognition Lab’s Trail of Taste through sidewalk chalk creations.

Every good story includes the “5 Ws”: Who, What, Where, When, and Why. In studying how disease begins and remains in a population, we’re writing the story of that disease, and we use the same technique. Julie Hasken, PhD, that highlighted various approaches to understanding the “5 Ws” of a given disease and how understanding them can lead to tailored intervention and prevention. This presentation is particularly timely today since there are several spreadable (communicable) diseases and lifestyle-linked (noncommunicable) diseases that scientists are working to discover the “5 Ws” of in order to improve health and wellbeing.

Dr. Hasken joined the NRI in 2012 as a Project Manager for Dr. Philip May focusing on the prevalence, child characteristics, and maternal risk factors of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) in the United States and South Africa. She earned her doctorate from the UNC-CH Department of Nutrition in 2021 and is now a postdoctoral research associate with Dr. May. Dr. Hasken earned her BS in Health Science from Truman State University and a Masters in Public Health, with a concentration in Health Education and Health Behavior, from UNC-CH. Dr. Hasken is also a Certified Health Education Specialist.

What if we can have better health outcomes, at a lower cost, now and for the future? Seriously.

Health is driven by four factors: clinical (10%), social (20%), genetics (30%), and behavior (40%). And yet, over 80% of our current health spending is on clinical services. The result? A declining life span and the highest cost per capita in the world. None of us should be satisfied with that result.

This event brought Katie Kaney, DrPH, FACHE, author of Both/And: Medicine & Public Health Together, and NRI’s Martin Kohlmeier, MD, PhD, professor of Nutrition, together to discuss this topic and more.

Katie Kaney is a C-suite healthcare thought leader with over 25 years of experience developing and implementing innovative programs to enhance care, promote health and expand business models for success. A bestselling author, Both/ And: Medicine and Public Health Together charts a practical path toward better health outcomes at a lower cost, for all. She is the founder of the Whole Person Index, an advisor for companies including PeraHealth / Rothman Index, Guideway Care and UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, among others.

Martin Kohlmeier focuses on laboratory diagnostics and nutritional genetics. With more than thirty years of experience in nutrition research, he has developed novel biochemical methods for the assessment of dietary intake and nutrient adequacy. Dedicated to helping the public benefit from recent advancements in genetics and nutrition, Kohlmeier uses this new technology to read the body’s DNA blueprint down to very fine details. His goal is to translate this data into practical directions for people’s health.

In February, we heard from eight of the Nutrition Research Institute’s scientists. They explained what it is they’re investigating and why it’s so important—in just 3 minutes each! Principal investigators, postdocs, doctoral students, and research specialists will take the mic to reveal the theories, concepts and ideas that underlie their exacting work in the laboratory and clinic. These 3-minute theory presentations are designed to effectively explain complex scientific research in down-to-earth language for a non-scientific audience. 

You can read the scripts of these talks by clicking the button to the left.

What’s the difference between a vitamin and a mineral?  The UNC Nutrition Research Institute gathered at Gaelic Alley Irish Pub in downtown Kannapolis for Nutrition Trivia Night. The evening was full of food, drinks, trivia, and prizes at Gaelic Alley, Kannapolis’ brand-new pub featuring traditional Irish flavors. In addition, TasteBudz Gourmet Burgers food truck was on-site with a delicious menu of burgers, sandwiches, and cheesesteaks available for purchase.

Missed the fun night? You can still try your hand at nutrition trivia by clicking the button to the left

Living a healthy lifestyle is a great way to decrease your cancer risk, but what does it mean to have a healthy lifestyle? On October 27, three scientists from the NRI talked about different approaches you can take to decrease cancer risk, including eating nutritious foods, maintaining a healthy body weight, and being physically active. They discussed evidence-based strategies for cancer prevention as well as dietary changes you can make if you are diagnosed with cancer. Cancer prevention and survival is not a one-size-fits-all approach.

Speakers included: Alyssa Ho, research technician; Violet Kiesel, postdoctoral research associate; Hannah Malian, graduate research assistant.

The UNC Nutrition Research Institute hosted a special Appetite for Life featuring Monique May, MD, the Physician in the Kitchen^™, with an introduction on precision nutrition by Kendra Nelson, MPH, registered dietitian, and member of the NRI’s Voruganti Lab.