Every Discovery Begins with a Participant

June 25, 2026 | News, Hursting News, Meyer News, Mooney News, N Krupenko News, News Rushing, Pathmasiri News, S Krupenko News, Saini News, Smith News, Stewart News, Sumner News, Tate News, Trujillo News, Voruganti News, Ximena News, Zeisel News

Every discovery begins with a question. But at the UNC Nutrition Research Institute, many discoveries also begin with a participant willing to say yes.

In this personal essay, Brooke Giles reflects on what it is like to experience NRI research from the participant side — and why taking part in a study can help advance science, support better health and contribute to discoveries that may benefit families, communities and future generations.

The Invisible Middle of Research

June 17, 2026 | News, Hursting News, Meyer News, Mooney News, N Krupenko News, News Rushing, Pathmasiri News, S Krupenko News, Saini News, Smith News, Stewart News, Sumner News, Tate News, Trujillo News, Voruganti News, Ximena News, Zeisel News

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.