Faculty - Susan J. Sumner, PhD

Susan J. Sumner, PhD

Professor of Nutrition

susan_sumner@unc.edu
704-250-5066
View CV

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

rachel_coble@unc.edu
704-250-5067

Wimal Pathmasiri, PhD

Assistant Professor of Nutrition

wimal_pathmasiri@unc.edu
704-250-5069

Delisha Stewart, PhD

Assistant Professor of Nutrition

delisha_stewart@unc.edu
704-250-5068

David Kirchner, MS

Research Associate

david_kirchner@unc.edu
(704) 250-5037

Yunzhi "Grace" Qian

Doctoral Student

yunzhi.qian@unc.edu
(704) 250-5037

Spencer Tilley

BSPH Student Intern, UNC Department of Nutrition

spentil@live.unc.edu

Yuan Li, PhD

Assistant Professor of Nutrition, Sumner Lab

yuanyli4@unc.edu
704-250-5069

Blake R. Rushing, PhD

Assistant Professor of Nutrition, Sumner Lab

blake_rushing@unc.edu
704-250-5067

Alleigh Wiggs

BSPH Student Intern, UNC Department of Nutrition

alleigh@live.unc.ed

Susan McRitchie, MA, MS

Program Coordinator

susan_mcritchie@unc.edu
704-250-5067

Madison Schroder

Research Technician

madison_schroder@unc.edu
704-250-5067

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

NIEHS Human Health Exposure Analysis Resource (HHEAR) Untargeted Analysis Laboratory (NC HHEAR UAL): 2019-present
NIEHS Children’s Health Exposure Analysis Resource (CHEAR) Hub: 2015-present
Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO): 2017-present
NIDDK Nutrition Obesity Resource Center (NORC): 2017-present
NIH Common Fund Eastern Regional Metabolomics Resource Core (ERCMRC): 2012-2019

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