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 .

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.

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.

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.

Ryan Dayvault joined the NRI in May 2008, where he serves as the Assistant to the Deputy Director and Special Projects Coordinator. A native of Kannapolis and 2008 graduate of Catawba College, Ryan holds a B.A. in Political Science with an emphasis in public administration and a minor in business administration. An avid supporter of the efforts at the North Carolina Research Campus, Ryan has served in various capacities throughout the development of this project while in college and maintaining his residency in Kannapolis.

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.

Denzel graduated from UNC Charlotte in December 2016, with a Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems. In Denzel’s spare time, he enjoys exploring the city with friends, trying new places to eat, going to the movies, reading, and he is also a member of a car club!

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.

Kaylee Helfrich joined the NRI as a doctoral student in nutrition in August 2016, and is now a fifth-year doctoral candidate in Nutritional Biochemistry. She completed her BS degree in Biochemistry at Clemson University in December 2015, where her research focused on signaling mechanisms that controlled energy expenditure in plants. Kaylee’s current research with Dr. Susan Smith focuses on how prenatal alcohol exposure affects iron levels in babies and whether giving iron supplements to the mothers will improve the babies’ health. When not working in the lab, she enjoys reading, dancing, and trying new recipes.

Rachel became a Lab Animal Coordinator in the Cheatham Lab on January 1, 2021. She joined the NRI in April 2020, where she assisted the Smith Lab in researching the relationship between prenatal alcohol exposure and iron supplementation. She previously worked at East Carolina University, her alma mater, where she researched the efficacy of cannabidiol and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol as a treatment for childhood seizure disorders. Rachel is a North Carolina native and received her BS in Public Health in 2019.

Alex joined the Voruganti Lab in the fall of 2020 as a student intern before being hired in March of 2021. Alex graduated from Concord High School in June of 2020 and is currently taking a gap year from UNC Chapel Hill. He will pursue a science-related major during his undergraduate years. In his spare time Alex enjoys music, physical fitness, and gardening.

Sarah is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, and is a few classes away from completing a graduate degree at Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health. In Sarah’s spare time, she loves reading, cooking, baking, and spending time outdoors (especially at the Whitewater Center). Sarah loves trivia and once appeared on an episode of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire!

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.

Cecilia received her PhD in molecular nutrition from Cornell University. Her dissertation project focused on the effect of maternal choline supplementation during mouse pregnancy on placental function and offspring development. While at Cornell University, Cecilia also completed the dietetic internship and is currently certified as a Registered Dietitian. Cecilia joined the NRI in the fall of 2017 to work with Dr. Smith where she will conduct studies examining how maternal nutritional status interacts with alcohol consumption to modulate placental development and offspring health. This understanding will facilitate the development of dietary interventions to improve outcomes in children who are prenatally exposed to alcohol.

Michael Mackin joined the Nutrition Research Institute in March 2016 as an Accounting Technician.  As a local native, Michael once worked at the Pillowtex plant, before it ceased operations, where the NRI was later built.  He enjoys spending time with his daughter, walking, and watching sports.

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.

Susan McRitchie, MA, MS, is the lead biostatistician in the Sumner-Lab at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Nutrition Research Institute (NRI). She has over 20 years of experience using statistics and modeling approaches to associate survey data and laboratory measures from basic, clinical, and epidemiology investigations with a wide variety of health outcomes.  She served as the Program Coordinator for the NIH-Common Fund Eastern Regional Comprehensive Metabolomics Core (ERCMRC, 2012-2019), and contributed to working groups on data analysis and visualization, and promotion and outreach. She is currently the Program Coordinator for the North Carolina Human Health Exposure Analysis Resource Untargeted Analysis Laboratory (NC HHEAR UAL) that was established in August 2019.  Ms. McRitchie’s research interest lies in understanding how diet, and nutrients, can mitigate against adverse effects from exposures to drugs, medications, and environmentally relevant chemicals. Ms. McRitchie earned a MA in Mathematics from UCLA and a MS in Biostatistics from UNC Chapel Hill.

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 the NRI in August 2019 where she focuses on the role of nutrition and genetics in obesity and neurodegenerative diseases. In May 2016 she received her undergraduate degree in Nutrition from Southern Utah University where she 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 she graduated in December 2019, earning her registered dietitian credentials shortly afterward.

Evan Paules  joined the NRI in August 2016 as a doctoral student. He is studying the effects of choline on embryonic neurogenesis under the mentorship of Dr. Zeisel. 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. Following his prospective graduation, Evan hopes to obtain a post-doctoral position to further his pursuit of obtaining a career in academia.

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.

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.

Olivia completed her PhD in Biomedical Sciences at Penn State University, where she investigated the role of the micronutrient zinc in mammary gland development and the influence of genetic variation on lactation outcomes. Olivia joined the NRI in July 2019 to focus on nutrient-gene interactions and precision nutrition during development. As a postdoctoral research associate in Dr. Smith’s lab, she will explore epigenetic mechanisms to understand how alcohol disrupts fetal development.

Madison joined the Sumner lab in July 2020. She graduated from UNC Chapel Hill in May 2018 with a B.S. in Chemistry. She hopes to attend graduate school soon to learn more about analytical chemistry and its application to metabolomics. Madison enjoys running, spending time with her dog, and volunteering at the animal shelter.

Jaspreet Sharma joined the NRI in the summer of 2017 in the S. Krupenko’s Lab to investigate the role of folate-metabolizing enzymes in cancer progression and metastasis. She received her PhD from the Graduate Program in the Department of Gastroenterology, PGIMER, Chandigarh (India). Her graduate studies focused on prevention of colon cancer by dietary supplements. She has received her postdoctoral training in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Colorado, Denver, working on the receptor-mediating signaling in tumorigenesis.

Susie Smith joined the Nutrition Research Institute in March 2016. As Programs and Operations Specialist she works with human resources matters and Institute programming such as symposia, workshops, and invited seminar speakers. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. Her work experiences include Social Work, Hospice Care, Business and Marketing. She is married with two grown children. In her spare time she enjoys reading, cycling and traveling. She is pleased to be a part of the NRI.

Melissa VerHague earned her PhD in molecular pathology from Wake Forest University. Her dissertation investigated the impact of apolipoprotein A-IV on triglyceride secretion and lipoprotein particle expansion associated with hepatic steatosis. A native of Buffalo, NY, she joined the NRI as a postdoctoral research associate in September of 2014. Currently, her research focuses on genetic links in obesity, nutrition, and cancer using genetically diverse mice. In addition to managing the Hursting Lab at the NRI, she is the manager of the NORC Animal Metabolism Phenotyping Core in Kannapolis.

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.