Jody Albright, a former business owner from Salisbury, is a 2011 graduate of Rowan-Cabarrus Comunity College with AS and AAS in Biotechnology degrees. He has recently joined the NRI in Dr. Bennett's lab as a laboratory technician. Jody is excited to use his recent education to develop several new protocols for the laboratory .

Numair is an undergraduate student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he is pursuing a BS in Biology with a minor in Philosophy, with hopes of earning a BSPH in Nutrition. He is a research assistant in Dr. Hursting’s lab at the Gillings School of Public Health and is passionate about cancer research. He hopes to attend medical school and pursue a career as a clinician.

Jenna Baker joined the Nutrition Research Institute in June 2018. She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro in Communication Studies. Jenna joined us from UNC Charlotte where she served as administrative staff for five years within academic departments. She is a native of Concord and currently lives in Kannapolis with her husband. In her spare time she enjoys exercising, traveling or anything outdoors.

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.

Lauren joined the NRI in March 2020 as a data analyst in the Voruganti Lab. She has recently completed her Master of Science degree in Bioinformatics and Genomics, and will begin her Ph.D. in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics this fall. She is assisting the Voruganti Lab group with data analysis for the Viva La Familia study at NRI, and she is also working on an urban microbial metagenomics study at UNCC. Outside of the lab, she enjoys spending time with family, friends, and traveling.

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.

Alyssa joined the NRI in March 2022 as Donor Engagement Officer. She oversees the Institute’s annual giving and stewardship programs to engage, inform, and thank NRI donors. Prior to joining the NRI, Alyssa supported fundraising and external affairs activities at the UNC Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute. Alyssa is also a classically trained musician and has extensive experience as an operatic mezzo-soprano and choral musician. She received her undergraduate degree in vocal performance from the University of Delaware, and her master’s degree in voice from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

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. Now, her dream has come true. She plans to further her involvement in metabolomics during the admirable times here at the NRI.

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.

Emily began working at UNC Chapel Hill in August 2019 as a doctoral student. She is studying the metabolic links between obesity and ferroptosis in breast cancer under the mentorship of Dr. Hursting. Prior to her time in Chapel Hill, Emily attended UC Berkeley where she graduated with a degree in Molecular Toxicology.

Lydia joined the NRI with Dr. Voruganti’s lab in August 2022 and is looking forward to contributing to the body of knowledge in the field of nutrition. Lydia graduated from the University of Tennessee with a BS in Nutrition in 2017. She completed a Dietetic Internship with Lenoir-Rhyne University and earned her RD credential in the summer of 2019. Lydia worked as a clinical dietitian while pursuing her MS in Nutrition, graduating from the University of Alabama in the summer of 2021. In her spare time, Lydia enjoys spending time with her husband and dog in the great outdoors.

Gavin joined the IT team at NRI to explore his interests in information technology, and plans to attend UNC Charlotte where he’ll pursue a degree in Computer Science with a focus in game design, alongside a minor in creative writing. Gavin is passionate about Computer Science and hopes to learn as much as he can from his new position at the NRI.

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.

Halle earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology and Minor in Anthropology at St. Mary’s College of Maryland in May 2020. After moving to Charlotte, Halle joined the NRI in August 2020 as a Research Technician in Dr. Sergey Krupenko’s Lab, where she studies the role of folate in liver function and cancer disease. Halle plans to further her education in the research field within the next couple of years.

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.

Savanna re-joined the NRI in the Trujillo lab in August 2022 as a Research Technician. She graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill in Fall of 2020 with a degree in exercise and sport science with a minor in neuroscience. Savanna also has a position in the behavioral health unit at Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte, NC, where she is gaining clinical experience to become a pediatric physician assistant! When she's not working, you can find her walking her dog, Chico, around downtown Kannapolis!

Neplus Hall joined the NRI in February 2022 as part of a new dental research study being led by the Kohlmeier Team. She has her dental assisting certification, is a certified emergency medical technician, and has an AAS in dental hygiene. She enjoys serving her dental community through prevention, dental therapy, and maintaining exceptional oral care. She is excited to embrace her journey into research. Neplus is very active in her church, enjoys teaching CPR, kayaking, and gardening.

Carolyn Harris rejoined the NRI on November 8, 2022 as Special Assistant with NRI’s Human Resources. In 2007, she joined the NRI as executive assistant to Institute Director, Steven Zeisel . She retired in 2018. Her previous work experience includes office management/administration and human resources within the Department of Defense and private sector organizations. In addition to her part-time employment, Carolyn spends her time traveling, trying various exercise programs, reading and volunteering with non-profit organizations. She is a graduate of Montreat College.

Alyssa joined the Hursting Lab in May 2018 working at the NRI as a summer undergraduate research assistant. She then joined the Hursting Lab in Chapel Hill where her work focuses on targeting metabolic pathways through pharmacological and chemotherapeutic interventions to improve triple-negative breast cancer therapy. She obtained both her BSPH in Nutrition in May 2020 and her MS in Nutrition in May 2021 from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. She is now working as a Research Technician in the Hursting Lab and hopes to attend medical school in the future.

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.

Tanner joined the NRI in August 2021 as a Laboratory Animal Coordinator in the Cheatham Lab. She graduated from Western Carolina University in 2019 with a BS in Biology. While attending WCU she worked as a seasonal research technician studying Mississippi’s endangered dusky gopher frog and temporarily resided in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s facilities to assist with captive-rearing and mark-recapture surveys. From here, she gained great interest in both research and laboratory work, especially dealing with animals.

Ketan went to school at East Carolina University, but grew up nearby in Concord, NC. He majored in Neuroscience and has previously worked in microbiology labs at ECU’s Dental School. Ketan wants to pursue a career in academia and perhaps pharmaceuticals. He loves working in labs and in his time at NRI he hopes to pick up new techniques and expand his repertoire. In the near future, he also hopes to learn more about genetic data analytics, artificial intelligence, and the cognitive processes that power them. In his free time, Ketan enjoys exploring Charlotte, which he describes as a vibrant city.

Matthew joined the NRI in August 2022 as a Research Technician in the Mooney Lab. He recently completed his undergraduate studies at UNC Chapel Hill, earning a BS in Biology and minors in Chemistry and Medical Anthropology. Matthew decided to stay in the Tar Heel family and to continue his research journey with the Mooney Lab. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, hiking, tennis, and watching Carolina basketball.

David Kirchner, MS is a Research Associate in the Sumner-Lab at NRI. He uses his training in mass spectrometry to analyze proteins and metabolites in biospecimens. Mr Kirchner has over 20 years of experience working in laboratories to conduct studies using genetic, molecular and cell biology, bioanalytical chemistry and bioinformatics approaches. He will contribute his knowledge to studies conducted for the Sumner-Lab.  Mr. Kirchner earned a MS in Biochemistry from Indiana University of PA in 2010.

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.

Baba graduated from Gambia College School of Education with an AS in science and mathematics. He taught Junior Secondary School science for three years before migrating to the U.S. to pursue higher education. Baba joined the Voruganti lab as a student intern from RCCC before officially joining the team as research technician in July 2015.

Jonathan, a local resident, joined the NRI in late July 2021 as a Research Technician in Dr. Sergey Krupenko’s Lab. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Biology with a Minor in Chemistry and a Minor in Health and Society from UNC Chapel Hill in May 2021. Jonathan’s plan is to gain some lab experience and then further his education in the next couple of years.

Madison joined the Nutrition Research Institute in early Fall of 2020, transferring from the NCSU Plants for Human Health Institute to complete an internship as part of her education and training. As a local of Rowan County Madison went to Rowan-Cabarrus Community College and graduated with an Associate’s degree in Biotechnology. Their Work-Based Learning program is what led Madison to the Mooney lab where she hopes to refine her skillset before pursuing a Master’s degree in Microbiology or Ecology. Madison is thrilled for the opportunity the Mooney Lab presents in her early research career.

Tim is currently the Research Chef for the University of North Carolina metabolic kitchen in Kannapolis. He also is the Food Service Supervisor for the Lettuce Eat Café at the Nutrition Research Institute. He brings more than 30 years’ experience in food service and nutrition to our team. Tim is a local resident who relocated to the area after a successful career in the resort hospitality industry. Since returning to the area, he has been the Executive Chef of The Club at Irish Creek and was the owner of Chef’s Choice Gourmet Pastries. In 2014 he was provided the opportunity to work with the University of North Carolina to offer personalized nutrition. His passion for nutrition is evident in the food he creates.

Bryan Munoz joined the S. Krupenko lab in February 2022 as a postdoctoral research associate. Dr. Munoz attended EARTH University in Costa Rica majoring in Agricultural Sciences, then continued his graduate career at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln and North Carolina State University, where he earned his doctoral degree in Nutrition and Horticultural Sciences. Dr. Munoz has worked with plants his entire life, and is interested in learning new techniques in molecular biology and animal models in his appointment in the S. Krupenko lab.

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 Dr. Mooney's lab to research fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD).

Grace (Yunzhi) joined the NRI in August 2020 as a doctoral student in the Nutrition Department. She received her B.S. in Human Biology from the University of California, San Diego and an MPH in Biostatistics from Columbia University. Grace works with Dr. Susan Sumner to research in metabolomics investigations in nutrition, environmental exposures, and metabolic variation.

Nivi is an undergraduate student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she is pursuing a BSPH in Nutrition and a BS in Neuroscience with a minor in Chemistry. She is a research assistant in Dr. Hursting’s lab at the Gillings School of Public Health and is helping to research the connection between obesity and colon cancer. She hopes to attend graduate school and pursue a research-based career in the future. In her free time, she enjoys doing bhangra (an Indian style of dance) and playing her violin or guitar.

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.

Julian is a Kannapolis native who is an undergraduate student at UNC Chapel Hill where he is pursuing a BS in Biology and a BA in Religious Studies. He is a senior and a Chancellor's Science Scholar. Julian is a research assistant in Dr. Goode's lab where he is studying new approaches for weight loss to reduce obesity rates. He is interested in exploring a possible career in research, but he would like to go to medical school to become a pediatric oncologist. Some of Julian's interests include reading, playing with his two dogs, and hanging out with his long-time high school friends.

Nipun Saini joined the NRI in the summer of 2017 for her second postdoctoral position and will be working with Dr. Smith on fetal alcohol syndrome. She completed her PhD. in Biochemistry from University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where her dissertation was focused on the characterization of inhibitors of fatty acid transport protein-2 in cell and animal models to reduce obesity, lipotoxicity and related diseases. After earning her PhD, she moved to the North Carolina Research Campus as a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences at North Carolina Central University and worked on understanding the mechanism of microRNA-mediated regulation in metformin treated breast cancer cells.

Molly graduated from NC State University with a BS in Animal Science in May 2021. Before joining the Sumner lab in March 2022, she worked with African penguins and Asian small-clawed otters at the Greensboro Science Center. Molly loves animals and hopes to one day attend graduate school to study animal nutrition. In her free time, she enjoys birding, painting, and playing the clarinet.

Jon Shea joined the Nutrition Research Institute in the summer of 2017. He is a graduate of UNC Charlotte’s Bioinformatics program.  He has worked in several labs working on research in single cell sequencing studying the transcriptomic changes in yeast and c. elegans as well as plant metabolites using HPLC and mass spectrometry.

Jessie received her BS in Chemistry with a minor in Biology from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2020. She continued her education in the online Masters of Public Health program in Nutrition at UNC, which she completed in 2022. In the fall of 2022, Jessie began her doctoral studies under the guidance of Dr. Katie Meyer. In her free time Jessie enjoys working out, going out to eat, reading, and watching reality TV.

Ashlee is a medical student at UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicine and is pursuing a scholarly concentration in nutrition. She recently joined Dr. Hursting's lab to study obesity-cancer associations and how these translate to a clinical setting. In her free time, she enjoys cooking and creating recipes for her food blog, running, road biking, traveling to new places and cheering on the Tar Heels! Ashlee is from Lenoir, NC and completed her BS in Biology at UNC Chapel Hill.

Katie joined the NRI in August of 2019. She is a nutritional immunologist and received her PhD in Animal Science from North Carolina State University. Her dissertation focused on long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) supplementation as a means to dampen immunosuppressive effects of respiratory pathogens. She is now investigating impacts of fetal alcohol syndrome on Alzheimer-related pathologies and behavioral impairments.

Torri received her Bachelors in Biology at UNC Charlotte in 2020. She will be receiving her Master's in Bioinformatics in May of 2022. While pursuing her Master's degree, she worked as a graduate research assistant identifying, monitoring and sequencing the evolution of SAR-CoV-2 variants with positive clinical samples using Next-Generation Sequencing. She's a former student-athlete so in her free time she likes to go for runs and workout with a group of friends and lots of music!

Janie joined the Nutrition Research Institute in May 2022. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Janie has worked in the healthcare field for over 18 years, mostly in public health within the dental field. She is a native of Rowan county and currently lives in China Grove. In her free time, she enjoys spending her time with her husband, 2 daughters, son-in-law and grandson.