Sandra M. Mooney, PhD
Associate Professor of Nutrition
sandra_mooney@unc.edu
704-250-5022
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Sandra Mooney, PhD joined the UNC Chapel Hill Nutrition Research Institute in August 2018 as an Associate Professor of Nutrition. Her research program investigates the effect(s) of environment and genes on brain development, with a focus on prenatal alcohol exposure. Current studies use animal models to understand how nutritional needs change after alcohol exposure, thereby increasing the chances that modifying (or personalizing) nutrition will optimize growth and development. This work is supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Dr. Mooney received her Ph.D. from the University of Otago in New Zealand.
The overall theme of Dr. Mooney’s research is to understand normal brain development, how exposure to alcohol (and other drugs or experiences) disrupts this, what the behavioral outcomes are, and whether simple nutrition-based interventions can improve outcomes. Developmental exposure to ethanol profoundly affects development of the nervous system. Indeed, fetal alcohol exposure is described as the primary known cause of intellectual disability, and recent estimates suggest that 2-5% of US children can be diagnosed with a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.
Carolyn Munson
Research Specialist, Mooney Lab
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.
Hannah Petry
Graduate Student, Mooney Lab
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).
Nathan Pressley
Research Technician, Mooney Lab
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.
Kathleen Walter Wins Poster Award at Alzheimer’s Symposium
Kathleen Walter, PhD, research fellow in the Mooney Lab at the NRI, has won Best Poster Presentation for basic/translational science at the first Symposium for Learning about Alzheimer’s disease-related Medical research at Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill...
The Lifespan Impact of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) encompass a range of behavioral, cognitive, and physiological impairments that result from prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). FASD is usually diagnosed in early childhood, but while these impairments persist into adulthood,...
NRI Trainees Climbing the Ladder of Success
A core objective of the NRI is to provide training opportunities to the next generation of researchers in precision nutrition, including graduate and undergraduate students. These young researchers, selected from the tops of their classes, are mentored by the NRI’s...
Nutrient Supplements as a Treatment for FASD
While the best defense against fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) remains avoiding alcohol consumption during pregnancy, research has shown that dietary choline supplementation can reduce at least some of the cognitive and behavioral problems associated with FASD...
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