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.

Dr. Baah is from Ghana where he practiced medicine before migrating to the United States. He says, "My passion to go into medicine stems from the experiences I had growing up in a small town of about a thousand people with limited access to healthcare. I developed the passion to go into research because I believe it is the driving force to the future of medicine." He graduated from UNC-Charlotte with a Master's in Epidemiology in May 2020. His areas of interest include genetic epidemiology, nutrigenomics, and nutrigenetics. He currently works with Dr. Martin Kohlmeier to strengthen training programs in precision nutrition, particularly for physicians.

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

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.

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.

Nayeli Duckworth is an undergraduate student at UNC-Chapel Hill pursuing a BSPH in Nutrition, BS in Biology, and minoring in Chemistry. She is a research assistant in Dr. Smith's Lab at the Nutrition Research Institute in Kannapolis, NC. She hopes to attend graduate school to receive a PhD to become a researcher and university professor. In her free time, she enjoys baking and exercising.

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.

Brooke Giles is a 2011 graduate of Campbell University. She recently rejoined the NRI as the Marketing Asset Manager in the Institutional Advancement office. She previously served the NRI as a Communications Specialist from 2014-2017. Brooke is responsible for a variety of communication media to stimulate interest in research, programs, events, and activities conducted by the NRI. She develops original content and suggests creative ways to attract more audiences and supporters, and promotes our brand with the goal of increasing traffic to NRI digital properties for public and donor engagement and event attendance.

Emma joined the Hursting Lab in Chapel Hill in spring of 2020 under the mentorship of Dr. Ximena Bustamante-Marin. She is an undergraduate student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Public Health in the Nutrition program through the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Hispanic Languages and Cultures and a minor in chemistry. Emma is excited to become more familiar with laboratory techniques and to learn more about the world of research in Dr. Hursting's lab, and she hopes to attend medical school following her undergraduate career.

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.

Violet works as a postdoctoral researcher for Dr. Stephen Hursting. Her research focuses on metabolic perturbations that arise in cancer cells and how these perturbations change throughout the course of metastatic progression, particularly in the context of hypoxia. She earned her doctorate and masters degrees from the Department of Nutrition Science at Purdue University, and her bachelors in biological sciences from the University of Delaware.

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.

Michelle Nanney joined the Human Research Core of the NRI in 2023 as a Policy and Procedure Writer. Her past experience includes clinical trial process improvement, manufacturing process management & operations, ISO 9001 quality development, and technical writing. Her educational background includes a BS in Biomedical Engineering from Texas A&M University along with an MBA and MS in Strategic Management from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.

Carsyn graduated from Wingate University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in biology. After returning to North Carolina, she joined the NRI as a Lab Animal Coordinator in the Cheatham Lab. Here she will be conducting research on the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure when coupled with choline and DHA supplementation.

Betty has served Lettuce Eat Café customers with a positive attitude and a smile since joining the NRI in 2016! She is a career service industry professional. Betty is a North Carolina native, growing up in the eastern part of the state, then raising her family locally. In her spare time, Betty enjoys classic titles from her extensive movie collection, and enjoying time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren!

Before getting a B.S. in Biology from UNC Charlotte, Bill completed an A.A.S. in Biotechnology at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College and worked with protein-polyphenol aggregates as a technician in Dr. Lila's lab at PHHI.  After graduating, their interests in the intersections of Nutritional Biology and Social Ecology have led their work/study through diverse occupations such as greenhouse management, restoration agriculture, community organizing, and worker cooperatives (currently they are involved in an exploratory group to build natural houses and pools, and do permaculture landscaping).  They are also very excited to be back in a lab environment and interested in continuing their education by entering a graduate program in the near future.

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.

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.

Sai Sravani Vennam is from the southern part of India. She joined the Voruganti Lab in March 2023. She completed her master's degree in bioinformatics and genomics at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, which has provided her with a deep understanding of biological systems and their complexities. She is currently working as a Research Associate in the Voruganti Lab at NRI, where she is able to put her knowledge into practice. Her work involves utilizing computational tools and techniques to analyze and interpret complex biological data, with a focus on understanding disease mechanisms and developing innovative treatment strategies. She describes herself as a committed and passionate professional who is determined to enhance the fields of bioinformatics and genomics through cutting-edge research and innovative concepts.

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!

Rebecca is an RN with almost 30 years of experience in nursing, including 13 years coordinating and managing clinical trials for a community cancer center, and six years of performing quality assurance for cancer registry data submitted to the state registry. She is excited to be a part of the research going on at the NRI and to work with participants in the Human Research Core.