Faculty - Susan J. Sumner, PhD

Susan J. Sumner, PhD

Professor of Nutrition and Pharmacology

susan_sumner@unc.edu
(919) 622-4456
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Faculty Page – School of Pharmacology
Sumner Lab Twitter account

Susan Sumner, PhD is a Professor of Nutrition at UNC Chapel Hill’s Nutrition Research Institute (NRI), and the Director of the Metabolomics and Exposome Laboratory (MEL) at UNC Chapel Hill. Dr. Sumner is working to make personalized medicine and precision nutrition a reality. Using state-of-the-art metabolomics and exposome technologies, Dr. Sumner’s team determines how molecules that are present in our tissues and biological fluids are associated with states of health and wellness. Through this approach, biomarkers are discovered that can lead to new diagnostics for the early detection and diagnosis of disease, to monitor treatment and intervention, and to inform the development of intervention strategies.

The Sumner-Lab uses analytical methods to detect tens of thousands of signals for molecules that are present in biological specimens (such as urine, serum, plasma, feces, sweat, tissues, and cells). Using untargeted metabolomics, signals are detected for metabolites that are derived from endogenous metabolic process, such as neurotransmitters, hormones and steroids, sugars, amino acids, purines and pyrimidines, lipids, fatty acids, and vitamins and essential nutrients. Signals are also detected for metabolites derived from a wide range of exposures, including metabolites derived from ingestion of foods, intake of medications or drugs of abuse, and environmentally relevant

chemicals. Natural occurring chemicals found in foods (e.g., folate, choline) and beverages (e.g., polyphenols, benzoate) have been associated with both positive and negative health responses. Perturbations in endogenous metabolism have been associated with many prescribed and over the counter medications, as well as illicit drugs. Metabolites of many environmentally relevant chemicals are also detected (including phthalates, pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, parabens, brominated flame retardants, tobacco products, phenols, and volatile organic compounds) which have been linked with a variety of adverse health outcomes – including obesity, cognitive delay and decline, reproductive effects, and cancer.

Dr. Sumner’s research activities in Personalized Medicine and Precision Nutrition span several domain areas of Maternal and Child Health, Diabetes and Kidney Disease, Toxicology, Cancer, Microbiome, and Addiction. In 2019, she received a grant from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to discover biomarkers and mechanisms associated with Cardiovascular Disease. She has served as the PI of a grant funded through the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) to use metabolomics to reveal noninvasive markers of drug-induced liver injury, and as PI of the NIH Common Fund Eastern Regional Comprehensive Metabolomics Resource Core (ERCMRC). She currently directs the Metabolomics Core for the UNC Chapel Hill Nutrition Obesity Resource Center (NORC, funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIDDK), and an Exposome Core for the Children’s Health Exposure Analysis Resource (CHEAR) program (funded by the National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences, NIEHS).

In August of 2019, Dr. Sumner received a grant to develop new tools and conduct untargeted analysis for the NIEHS-funded Human Health Exposure Analysis Resource (HHEAR) Program. Under this grant, untargeted analysis will be used to study the complex interactions between environmental exposures throughout the lifespan and human health outcomes.

Dr. Sumner earned a B.S. and Ph.D. in the Department of Chemistry at North Carolina State University, and conducted postdoctoral research at NHLBI.

Sumner’s Team

Rachel Coble

Research Technician, Sumner Lab

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.

rachel_coble@unc.edu

Adam France

Biostatistician, Sumner Lab

Adam earned a BS in Biology from UNC Wilmington in 2017 and worked in a pharmaceutical company before moving to Charlotte to start graduate school. Adam graduated from UNC Charlotte with an MS in Bioinformatics in May 2021. Before joining the Sumner lab in March 2022, he worked as medical lab tech at UNC Charlotte's COVID testing lab running PCR tests for students, faculty, and staff. Outside of the lab, Adam enjoys mountain biking, classical music, and playing piano.

adamf@unc.edu

David Kirchner, MS

Research Associate, Sumner Lab

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.

david_kirchner@unc.edu

Yuan Li, PhD

Assistant Professor of Nutrition

Yuan Li, PhD is the manager of the mass spectrometry facility in the Sumner-Lab at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Nutrition Research Institute (NRI). Dr. Li oversaw the development of the Sumner-Lab untargeted analysis workflow for the NIEHS-funded Children’s Health Exposure Analysis Resource (CHEAR) program, and serves as the technology core leader for untargeted analysis for the North Carolina Human Health Exposure Analysis Resource Untargeted Analysis Laboratory (NC HHEAR UAL). Learn more.

yuanyli4@unc.edu

Susan McRitchie, MA, MS

Program Manager, Sumner Lab

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.

susan_mcritchie@unc.edu

Sabrina Molina

Research Technician, Sumner Lab

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 a research technician, with a goal of pursuing a masters or doctoral degree in nutrition. She is very excited to continue working with all the amazing people at the NRI. In her spare time, Sabrina enjoys cooking, kayaking, and dirt biking.

sabrina_molina@unc.edu

Wimal Pathmasiri, PhD

Assistant Professor of Nutrition

Wimal Pathmasiri, PhD is an Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Nutrition Research Institute (NRI). An overarching goal of Dr. Pathmasiri’ s research includes understanding the links between exposures (diet, constituents in natural projects, environmental chemicals, drugs), microbial metabolism, and human health. He was worked with the Sumner-Lab for over 12 years, as the director of a technology core for the NIH Common Fund Eastern Regional Comprehensive Metabolomics Resource Core (ERCMRC), and as a co-investigator in the North Carolina Human Health Exposure Analysis Resource Untargeted Analysis Laboratory (NC HHEAR UAL). Learn more.

wimal_pathmasiri@unc.edu

Yunzhi “Grace” Qian

Doctoral Student, Sumner Lab

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.

yunzhi.qian@unc.edu

Blake Rushing, PhD

Assistant Professor of Nutrition

Blake Rushing, PhD, is an assistant professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Nutrition Research Institute (NRI). Dr. Rushing’s is trained in pharmacology and toxicology, and has experience using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance, in vitro model systems, and various biochemical assays to study the interactions between small molecule toxins/drugs with macromolecular targets such as proteins and DNA. He is well versed in using analytical instrumentation to study metabolic products of exogenous small molecule agents and their biological effects. Learn more.

blake_rushing@unc.edu

Madison Schroder

Research Technician, Sumner Lab

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.

madison_schroder@unc.edu

Delisha Stewart, PhD

Assistant Professor of Nutrition

Delisha Stewart, PhD is an Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Nutrition Research Institute. Dr. Stewart has over 10 years of experience using genomics, metabolomics and high-throughput molecular bioassays to investigate mechanisms involved in cancer and inflammation. Dr. Stewart’s primary research includes a portfolio of studies aimed at understanding the impact of diet (high fat, high carbohydrate) on weight gain, and breast cancer endpoints. She uses both in vitro and in vivo model systems of genetic diversity to gain insights into health disparities associated with cancer endpoints. Learn More

delisha_stewart@unc.edu

The North Carolina Human Health Exposure Analysis Resource Hub (NC HHEAR Hub)

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Metabolomics and Exposome Laboratory (MEL) for the following NIH Centers

Health and Human Exposure Analysis Resource (HHEAR)

Nutritional Pharmacology/Toxicology

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Choline and Related Metabolites in Nutrition Research

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Metabolomics: Using In Vitro Models to Reveal Mechanisms of Cellular Response

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Recent Grants Supported by the Metabolomics and Exposome Laboratory (MEL)

R01HL143885 (Sumner, MPI, UNC-CH): 2019–2023
NHLBI
Leveraging multi-omics approaches to examine metabolic challenges of obesity in relation to cardiovascular diseases.

1U01CA235507 (Du, PI, UNC-Charlotte): 2018–2022
NCI
Cross-Platform and Graphical Software Tool for Adaptive LC/MS and GC/MS Metabolomics Data Preprocessing

1R37CA226969-01 (Bae-Jump, PI, UNC-CH): 2018–2023
NCI
Obesity-driven Metabolic and Molecular Biomarkers of Metformin Response in Endometrial Cancer

1R21CA235029-01 (Smith-Ryan & Bae-Jump, MPI, UNC Chapel Hill): 2019–2020
NCI
Interval Exercise Training as a Therapy for Endometrial Cancer

1U01OH011300-01A1 (Nolan, PI, NYUSOM): 2017– 2023
NIOSH
Metabolomics of World Trade Center-Lung Injury

1R01DK115380-01 (Zeisel, PI, UNC Chapel Hill): 2017- 2021
NIDDK
Developing a Biomarker Panel to Assess Choline Nutritional Status

U01ES027254 (Sumner, MPI, UNC Chapel Hill): 2016–2021
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Early-life END exposure and the impact on neurobehavioral, cardiovascular, and biochemical mechanisms.

5UG3OD023275 (Karagas, PI, Dartmouth College): 2016-2023
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Environmental Influences of Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Pediatrics Cohort
New Hampshire Birth Cohort

5UG3OD023305 (Trasande, PI, NYU School of Medicine): 2016-2023
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Environmental Influences of Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Pediatrics Cohort
NYU Pediatric Obesity, Metabolism and Kidney Cohort Center

R01DK110077 (Smoyer, PI, Nationwide Children’s Hospital) 2017-2022
NIDDK
Integrating Proteomics and Metabolomics to Understand Pediatric Glomerular Disease

1R21HD087878-01A1 (Harville, PI, Tulane): 2017-2019
NICHD
Preterm birth, pre-eclampsia, and the exposome