At the UNC Nutrition Research Institute, discovery does not happen in a single moment. Between the first research question and the final publication is the careful, often unseen work of planning, recruiting participants, gathering data, building teams, and refining ideas. This invisible middle is where science takes shape.
The UNC Nutrition Research Institute is proud to celebrate Natalia Krupenko, PhD, and Stephen Hursting, PhD, MPH, who have been named 2026 Excellence in Nutrition Fellows of the American Society for Nutrition.
The FASN designation recognizes distinguished members of ASN for their ongoing contributions to the field of nutrition and sustained engagement in the nutrition community. For Krupenko and Hursting, the honor reflects not only individual achievement, but also the long-term impact of research that is helping shape how scientists understand the relationship between nutrition, metabolism, chronic disease, and lifelong health.
Halle Meyer’s journey at the UNC Nutrition Research Institute began in 2020, when she joined the institute as a 21-year-old research technician in the lab of Sergey Krupenko, MD, PhD. Nearly six years later, she successfully defended her dissertation, earned her PhD in Nutrition from UNC-Chapel Hill, and leaves the NRI with not only scientific expertise, but a deep appreciation for the community and mentorship that shaped her along the way.
NGx brings together forward-thinking minds at the intersection of nutrition, genetics, and health to explore where science is going next—and how it’s already shaping the way we understand and apply precision nutrition. This is more than a conference; it is a chance to engage directly with the research, the people behind it, and the ideas that are redefining the field.
NGx brings together forward-thinking minds at the intersection of nutrition, genetics, and health to explore where science is going next—and how it’s already shaping the way we understand and apply precision nutrition. This is more than a conference; it is a chance to engage directly with the research, the people behind it, and the ideas that are redefining the field.