Ramine Alexander joined the UNC Nutrition Research Institute as Research Project Manager. Dr. Alexander received her Ph.D. and MPH, from Virginia Tech. As an intervention scientist, her research interest includes utilizing Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) to improve lifestyle risk factors (i.e., diet and physical activity) that have a direct relevance to obesity and chronic disease. Through CBPR approaches a primary goal of her work is to involve the voice of the community in the research process to promote intervention sustainability. Dr. Alexander has a passion for building health equity, conducting research on the social determinants of health, and using innovative approaches to communicate science.

Jamie joined the NRI as the Property Security Officer in September 2021, and is the person who welcomes our employees and visitors as they enter the building. In his Property Security Officer role, Jamie is tasked with building security, directing human study participants to the appropriate locations, and the central contact for our delivery vendors. Jamie will also assist Facilities with special projects on occasion, and will partner with NCRC Security, NCRC EHS, Kannapolis Police Department, and University resources on campus safety initiatives. Jamie is a retired sergeant from the Kannapolis Police Department, where he served in the Patrol, Criminal Investigation, and Vice Narcotics divisions. Additionally, he served on the agency’s Honor Guard Team and as a negotiator for their Special Response Team. He received numerous commendations and awards during his 30-year career in law enforcement.

Sandra Boucher-Bessent joins the NRI as part of the dental research study being led by the Kohlmeier Team. Sandra graduated from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Science degree in Dental Hygiene and also holds a Master’s Degree in Family and Youth Ministry. She has worked in private dental practices, a naval dental clinic, a hospital dental clinic for indigent and medically compromised populations, Duke University Medical Center’s pediatric dental clinic. She served as the dental program manager for the Cabarrus Health Alliance and was the National Program Director for the National Children’s Oral Health Foundation. She has served as a clinical adjunct professor for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and also worked in oral health research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill under Dr. Steven Offenbacher in the oral-systemic health link studies for cardiovascular disease and pre-term low birth-weight babies She looks forward to returning to research with the Kohlmeier study.

Emily graduated from Catawba College with a Bachelors in Biochemistry and a minor in History in 2023. She is excited to be with the Sumner Lab and looks forward to learning everything that she can. She is a Michigan native that misses the snow but does not miss the cold. In her down time, Emily loves to read, play games, and crochet many different things.

Paola completed her PhD in Social Work at Boston College and a Master in Nutrition at Iberoamericana University in Mexico City. Her research examines risk and protective factors for child malnutrition, and the impact of the social determinants of health on health disparities among underserved populations. Her current research interests have been shaped by a gradual evolution of professional experiences from diverse clinic- and community-based research projects in Mexico, Guatemala, and the U.S. A more recent area of her research focuses on adapting and testing a parenting intervention to prevent child obesity among Hispanic families.

Sam has worked in the healthcare field for over 20 years, mostly in pediatrics, but most recently in public health. She received an Associate’s Degree in Nursing from Cabarrus College of Health Sciences and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from South University. Sam has lived in Cabarrus County for 15 years, is a self-proclaimed foodie and loves traveling to find new things to eat! She also enjoys cold weather, spending time outdoors with her family, and taking care of her family’s farm animals - alpacas, goats, and chickens.

Madeline joined the NRI in March 2019 and began her doctoral studies in fall 2020. She completed her undergraduate program at the University of Alabama, where she graduated in 2018 with a major in Biology and minors in Chemistry and Spanish. Madeline works with Dr. Natalia Krupenko to research the role of folate in promoting human healthy and preventing disease.

Angela joined the NRI in August 2022 after graduating from Meredith College in Raleigh, NC, in May 2022 with a Master of Science in Nutrition. Her master’s degree focused on dietetics to become a future registered dietitian. Before completing her graduate studies, Angela gained 20 years of research experience in the pharmaceutical industry by managing first-in-class and first-in-human clinical trials, especially in immuno-oncology therapies. Angela is co-mentored at NRI by Dr. Hursting Dr. Voruganti where her focus is to expand nutrition research into human clinical trials and focus on identifying nutritional and genetic factors that can aid in early disease detection and using the mechanisms of metabolomics for adjuvant therapy in cancer treatment.

Rachel Joined the UNC Chapel Hill NRI in August 2020 as a Research Technician in the Sumner Lab. As a local of Rowan County, specifically China Grove, she graduated from Catawba College in 2020 with a B.S. in Biochemistry. She has always wanted to have some kind of involvement at the NCRC ever since she saw the campus being built as a little girl. Since joining Sumner’s lab, Coble returned to school to further her education. Pursuing her Master's degree in Informatics and Analytics with a Bioinformatics concentration has been a transformative journey, significantly enhancing her expertise in handling and interpreting complex data sets. By learning analytical techniques and informatics tools, she is equipped to process vast amounts of metabolomic data with greater accuracy and efficiency. The skills and knowledge gained through her Master's program enable her to contribute more to her metabolomics research, drive impactful data-driven insights, and support the NRI's goals in advancing metabolomics.

In 2009, Shena joined the North Carolina Research Campus as a member of Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute. In 2011, she began her professional career in higher education at NRI. Since then, Shena has served at UNC Charlotte and the Town of Davidson. She earned a Bachelor of Science from the College of New Jersey. In 2022, Shena rejoined NRI as Personnel Administrator.

Camila Espasandin is a Visiting Scholar at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Nutrition Research Institute (NRI). She is a PhD student and her research is focused on mechanisms of one carbon metabolism in thermogenesis in mice. She joined the NRI in 2024 to conduct a collaboration with Dr. Isis Trujillo-Gonzalez within the academic framework of her PhD studies. She earned her MSc. in Biological Sciences from the University of the Republic, Montevideo, Uruguay (UDELAR).

George Flentke received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where his dissertation focused on the structure and catalytic activity of the enzyme UDP-galactose-4-epimerase,  which is crucial for galactose metabolism. His postdoctoral research in Biochemistry and Pharmacology at Tufts University / New England Medical School focused on the design of inhibitors of dipeptidyl peptidase enzymes, which control immune function and HIV infection.  After returning to UW-Madison he continued working with the immunosupressives cyclosporine and rapamycin. He is an experienced enzymologist/protein chemist and synthetic organic chemist. Currently, he manages Dr. Smith’s lab, where he investigates the mechanism by which alcohol alters ribosomal signaling and mTOR activity in alcohol-exposed neural crest.

Walter Friday, a Kannapolis native, recently returned to Cabarrus County to get married. He is a 2010 graduate of Rowan-Cabarrus Community College with an AAS in Biotechnology. He is pleased to be working at the Nutrition Research Institute as a research technician. He enjoys spending time with his wife, reading, and traveling.

Elle completed her PhD at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill under the supervision of Dr. Ian Carroll where she investigated the consequences of severe calorie restriction on intestinal stem cell function and potential interactions of the gut microbiota. To further delineate dietary regulation of intestinal epithelial cell function, Elle has remained at UNC-Chapel Hill where she is now working with Drs. Stephen Hursting and Jatin Roper (Duke University) to investigate adipose-derived inflammatory factors that may drive colorectal tumor progression in obesity.

Tyisha Harper joined UNC Nutrition Research Institute in December 2021 as a Project Coordinator in the Goode Lab. She is originally for Milwaukee, WI and relocated to the Charlotte area with her new husband. She is excited to learn and develop her research career here. Tyisha likes to travel, go bowling, and spend lots of quality time with her family. Tyisha is motivated by  spiritual affirmations and her favorite one is Psalm 46:5, “God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.”

Julie 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. Julie 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. Julie is also a Certified Health Education Specialist.

Yanping Huang is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Dr. Susan Smith’s Lab. She is from China where she earned her PhD degree. In her free time, she enjoys cooking and running.

Sherry has worked in the healthcare field for over 25 years as a Licensed Practical Nurse. Most of that time was spent in Internal Medicine. She is a graduate of Rowan Cabarrus Community College. She has lived in Kannapolis most of her adult life. She enjoys vacationing with her family and spending time outside.

Faustina hails from south India. She completed her BS, in plant biotechnology from Stella Maris College in Chennai, India and her MS in biotechnology from Sathyabama University in Chennai, India. She eventually moved to US for her husband’s job and joined Rowan Cabarrus Community College to find a door that would lead to a career in research. She joined the Voruganti lab as an intern from RCCC in January 2019 and is now a PhD candidate in the same lab. Faustina is excited to be a part of NRI and the remarkable research that is happening here. In her free time, she enjoys exploring the beaches and mountains of the Carolinas with her husband and kids.

Martin grew up in Kannapolis and fell in love with this community, graduating from Rowan-Cabarrus Community College with an associate’s degree in science with a concentration in environmental biology. His interests include philosophy, history, cooking, video games. And raising his hens! As a local, Martin’s also an expert in the great debate between Sun Drop and Cheerwine! When you see him, ask which he prefers!

Addison joined the NRI in December 2023 as a research technician for All of Us (AoU) and Nutrition for Precision Health (NPH). While growing up in Hickory, NC, Addison developed a love for science in medicine, leading her to graduate from NCSU in 2023 with a BS in Human Biology. Addison hopes to continue onto PA school one day but is excited to gain clinical lab experience at NRI. Outside of work and school, Addison enjoys playing with her schnauzer, crocheting, and cooking.

Anju Lulla, PhD joined the NRI as a Research Associate in August 2018. She received her Phd from St. John’s University, NY, in Pharmaceutical Sciences with a focus in pharmacology. Prior to joining NRI, Anju was a research assistant at UNC Charlotte in the Bioinformatics Department. She brings with her expertise in bioinformatics and statistical analyses of genomic and microbiome data. She is working with Dr. Katie Meyer to study associations between nutritional metabolites, gut microbiome and cardiovascular health.

Chrysa Mahoney is a Research Assistant at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Nutrition Research Institute (NRI). She joined the NRI in 2023 to work with Dr. Tate on the All of Us (AoU) Research Program and the Nutrition for Precision Health (NPH) study supported by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). Chrysa has 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry in a variety of therapeutic areas and especially enjoyed working on therapies for T2DM and obesity.

Katherine is a recent graduate of North Carolina State University, where she studied social work. As an undergraduate, she engaged in research surrounding burnout and vicarious trauma; she is excited to join Dr. Goode’s lab as a research assistant. Katherine is passionate about increasing healthcare equity, social justice, and individual and community well-being, and she hopes to pursue a career engaging in research around disordered eating. In her free time, Katherine enjoys hiking, rock climbing, and playing guitar.

Susan McRitchie, MA/MS has over 10 years of experience conducting biostatistics in the field of metabolomics, and has over 15 years of experience using biostatistics in clinical and epidemiology investigations. She is the lead biostatistician and program manager for the NIH Common Fund Metabolomics and Clinical Assay Center (PI, Susan Sumner) for the Nutrition for Precision Health study, for the NIEHS Human Health Exposure Analysis Resource program (MPI, Sumner/Du/Fennell), and for the Metabolomics and Exposome Laboratory at the UNC Chapel Hill Nutrition Research Institute (Director, Sumner). In these roles, she participates in working groups of the NIH consortium involving data management, data quality, and omics analysis, and leads data analysis. She has trained over 20 students, postdoctoral fellows, early career and senior faculty to conduct statistical and multivariate analysis in metabolomics investigations. Susan McRitchie earned a MA in mathematics from UCLA and a MS in Biostatistics from UNC Chapel Hill.

Sabrina graduated from UNC Charlotte with a degree in biology, working in a bioinformatics lab during her time there. She began as a student intern in the Sumner lab and is now working as the Assistant Laboratory Manager. She is very excited to continue working with all the amazing people at the NRI. In her spare time, Sabrina enjoys cooking, kayaking, fishing, and dirt biking.

Carolyn Munson graduated in 2015 from Rowan Cabarrus Community College with an AAS in biotechnology. She is working as a research technician in the Surzenko Lab at the NRI. Much of her work is directed by Dr. Natalia Surzenko performing immunohistochemistry work.

Kendra joined the Voruganti Lab at the NRI in August 2019 where they focus on the role of nutrition and genetics in obesity and cognitive decline. In May 2016 they received their undergraduate degree in Nutrition from Southern Utah University. There they conducted research focusing on the accuracy of consumer fitness trackers and their value as an assessment tool in dietetics practice and future nutrition research. Kendra worked as a public health sanitarian prior to attending UNC's MPH/RD program from which they graduated in December 2019, earning their registered dietitian credentials shortly afterward.

Evan Paules joined the NRI in August 2016 as a doctoral student under the mentorship of Dr. Zeisel. Following his graduation, Evan joined the lab of Dr. Hursting where he is now a postdoctoral researcher. Evan is currently investigating the determinants of heterogenic responses to dietary interventions in individuals. Evan attended Rider University where he graduated with a double major in Biochemistry and Behavioral Neuroscience. He was also a member of Rider University’s Division 1 swim team for all four years while he attended Rider.

Hannah obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics in May 2022 from Texas Tech University. She joined the NRI and began her doctoral studies in Fall 2022. She works in the Mooney Lab to research fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD).

David Raines graduated from The College of Wooster in May 2014 with a bachelor’s in biology. He’s very excited to be working as a laboratory technician in Sergery Krupenko’s lab. David enjoys spending his free time outdoors herping for reptiles and amphibians; hiking, and backpacking.

Ariana joined the NRI in November 2021 as a research technician in the Hursting lab. She graduated from UNC Chapel Hill in 2021 with a BS in Biology and minors in Chemistry and Health and Society. She's excited to work as a research technician and gain lab experience. In her free time, Ariana enjoys playing video games and creating art.

Mandi graduated from Transylvania University in Lexington, KY in May 2023 with a BA in Neuroscience with a Biology Emphasis and a Minor in Sociology. Originally from New Holland, PA, she is excited to be living in warmer weather and to have the opportunity to work in the Cheatham Lab. In her free time, she enjoys reading, exercising, staying in touch with her friends and family, and is learning to crochet.

Tim joined the NRI as our Morning Shuttle Driver after retiring from a 26-year career at the Kannapolis Police Department. He worked in community policing, vice narcotics, and criminal investigations during his tenure there. As a native of Columbia, Missouri, Tim has lived in Kannapolis for 28 years. He served our country in the US Navy for 11 years including deployment to Beirut, and in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. In his spare time, Tim runs an average of 3-4 miles every day. He works part time at the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers Stadium, greeting guests and providing customer service to all who attend games, he is excited about serving our community at the NRI as well!

Tom Sawyer joined the CRC in May 2023 as a Clinical Study Coordinator. He earned an AAS in Medical Laboratory Technology from Central Piedmont Community College and worked for 5 years in immunotherapy cancer research. He is excited to move into nutrition research and gain new experiences.

George Slebioda, a resident of North Carolina since 1989, moved here to work for Turf Grass Construction and Management for River Run C.C. in Davidson, NC. Retiring from sales in 2019, George has been working part-time for the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers as the mower operator for their ballfield. He also works part-time for the Swanee Theater in downtown Kannapolis. He enjoys casual bike riding several days a week, along with the outdoors, old cars, and old music.

Julie joined the NRI in 2009 with Dr. Carol Cheatham’s Nutrition & Cognition Lab where she helped launch some of the first human studies completed on the NCRC.  In her time with the NRI, she has had the pleasure of working with Dr. Philip May on his Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs) research and founding director, Dr. Steven Zeisel, on his choline biomarker study.  She has coordinated studies with babies, toddlers, school age children, and adults.  Julie earned a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications and a Masters in Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  Julie is currently working on multiple projects, including the Nutrition for Precision Health study.  After living in Chapel Hill, Boston, Niger, and Asheville, Julie is a returned Kannapolis native who has enjoyed watching the area’s residents grow and learn in partnership with the research being conducted.

Thomas is from Chattanooga, TN. He graduated in May 2022 from Grove City College with a BS in Biochemistry.