Amira A. Abdellatef is currently working as a Post-Doctoral Research Associate at Sergey A. Krupenko Lab, Nutrition Research Institute (NRI), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Amira completed her Ph.D. in cancer biology and immunology from the Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, the University of Toyama, Japan in 2021, under the supervision of Prof. Yoshihiro Hayakawa. Before joining NRI, she completed her Research Scholar training at the University of Toyama, Japan, and a postdoctoral appointment at Julius L. Chambers Biomedical/Biotechnology Research Institute (BBRI), North Carolina Central University (NCCU), under the mentorship of Prof. Xiaohe Yang. She is a recent recipient of the Award of Female Researchers of the University of Toyama, Japan. Her research project focuses on the function of folate enzymes ALDH1L1 and ALDH1L2 in cellular metabolism and their association with human diseases. Her project utilizes cell culture and mouse models to answer questions about the role of folate metabolizing enzymes and dietary folate in liver and brain functions, tumorigenesis, cancer progression, and metastasis. She has co-authored many peer-reviewed articles and had several poster/oral presentations at international and local conferences. Outside of the academia, she enjoys listening to music, watching movies, walking, swimming, and cooking.

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.

Randy has worked in sales for over 35 years. He enjoys meeting new people with a positive attitude and a friendly smile. He enjoys traveling and camping with his wife of 35 years. They like going to estate sales and finding hidden treasures.

A native of Salisbury, North Carolina, Mrs. Bouk has 17 years of experience in the clinical research industry, supporting a wide range of clinical and translational research projects. Her expertise spans phase II-IV industry-sponsored clinical trials, as well as federally-funded and investigator-initiated research studies. With over 14 years supporting the Duke University research office on the North Carolina Research Campus, Mrs. Bouk worked to engage healthcare practices and local communities to enroll large-scale, longitudinal, community research studies including the MURDOCK Study and the Project Baseline Health Study. Throughout her career, Mrs. Bouk has managed cross-functional study teams across various phases of the clinical trial lifecycle. This includes handling study contracts and budgets, regulatory submissions, patient recruitment plans, primary data collection, and implementing QC and QA practices. Recently, Mrs. Bouk supported a start-up company by developing a program to identify patients through an AI-powered patient matching solution for sponsors and clinical research sites. Mrs. Bouk graduated from North Carolina State University with a B.S. in Biological Sciences with a concentration in Nutrition, and earned an MBA from Wingate University in Corporate Innovation.

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.

Walden joined the NRI in September 2015, in the role of Technology Support Technician. He has a passion for all things technology related, and enjoys tinkering and learning about new tech. He comes to the NRI after serving T-Mobile, AT&T, and CompUSA. He is excited to bring that knowledge and passion, as well as a strong desire to help people, to the NRI. Walden is currently attending UNC-Charlotte, pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science with a concentration in Software, Systems, and Networks.

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.

Brendon Coats is currently pursuing a BS in Biology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He started at the NRI as an intern in January of 2022, and now is a Research Technician in the Smith Lab where is excited to gain experience in the research field. He hopes to enroll into graduate school and earn his masters after UNC Charlotte.

Spencer joined the NRI in 2025 after studying culinary and nutrition at JWU Charlotte and pursuing to learn as much as he possibly can, as well as contributing his skills to the NRI. He aspires to go back to school to further his education in nutrition and medical science. Spencer grew up in southern NC with his parents and two younger siblings. He studied at JWU Charlotte and UNC Charlotte. His hobbies involve cooking, video games, and building Lego sets.

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.

Isabella joined the Sumner Lab as a student intern in 2023. She is an undergraduate student pursuing a BSPH in the Nutrition program through the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, as well as a minor in Chemistry. As Isabella aims to attend medical school following her undergraduate career, she is eager to learn from Dr. Sumner and her team. In Isabella’s free time she enjoys running, baking, and crafting

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.

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.

Elizabeth joined the Cheatham team in January 2024 as an intern. Currently a senior at Belmont Abbey College, she is pursuing her BS in Biology, with a minor in chemistry, and is passionate about learning more in the clinical research field. She is also a part of the women’s lacrosse team at Belmont Abbey. In her free time she likes to exercise, read, and spend time with friends and family.

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.

Kevin started working with the state 5 years ago with UNC Charlotte and recently transferred to UNC Chapel Hill. When he's not at work, he can be found working on their small farm. Kevin enjoys pretty much anything outdoors.

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.

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.

Steve May joined the UNC Chapel Hill Nutrition Research Institute in January 2025. He grew up in Concord, N.C., and worked for the Kannapolis Police Department, where he retired as a Lieutenant after 30 years of service. After retirement, he worked in the private sector for 14 years before coming onboard the Nutrition Research Institute. He and his wife Melody, a Kannapolis native, have a daughter, a son, and two grandsons.

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.

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.

Kendra completed their BSc in Nutrition at Southern Utah University, the MPH/RD Nutrition program at UNC-Chapel Hill, and came to the NRI in 2019 to join the Voruganti Lab as a doctoral student. Under Dr. Saroja Voruganti, Kendra focused on investigating the role of genetic factors and obesity in the association between uric acid and cognitive decline. After completing their PhD in 2025, Kendra joined Dr. Deborah Tate's lab at the NRI as a dietitian and post-doctoral research associate focused on the Nutrition for Precision Health study.

Carsyn manages community outreach events, donor engagement programs, and institute-wide special events that highlight the NRI’s research in nutrition and human health. She joined the NRI in 2021 as a Lab Animal Coordinator in the Cheatham Lab, where she supported research on prenatal alcohol exposure in combination with choline and DHA supplementation. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Wingate University.

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!

Nathan graduated from UNC at Greensboro in May 2023 with a BS in Psychology and a Minor in Statistics. He is from Gold Hill, NC and has family from Kannapolis. Nathan is excited to join Dr. Mooney’s lab and to learn all that he can during his time at the NRI. In his free time, he enjoys gardening, spending time with his dogs, and kayaking.

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!

Jon Shea joined the Nutrition Research Institute in the summer of 2017. He is a graduate of UNC Charlotte’s Bioinformatics Master's program. He has worked in several areas in the NRI including project manager, study coordinator, lab manager, and research core administration before settling into the Finance team as a Budget Analyst.

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.

Robert Weimer joined the UNC Nutrition Research Institute in January 2025 after earning his B.S. in Nutrition and Medical Science and M.S. in Human Nutrition from the University of Delaware. With a passion for culinary medicine, Robert is excited to contribute to the Tate Lab and support the advancement of precision nutrition research. His research interests center on clinical body composition and metabolism assessment methods, focusing on innovative approaches to understanding and improving metabolic health. Robert aspires to integrate metabolic health practices into routine primary medical care and empower individuals to adopt sustainable strategies for achieving long-term health and wellness.

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.