News
Our research not only influences the scientific community, but the general public as well. We strive to share our discoveries with everyone. Read some of our latest articles on what is happening at the Nutrition Research Institute.
A Step Toward More Personalized Nutrition Guidance
A new NRI study led by Isis Trujillo-Gonzalez, PhD, explores whether blood markers can help show if someone is getting enough choline, an essential nutrient linked to brain, liver and cellular health. Continue Reading A Step Toward More Personalized Nutrition Guidance
Every Discovery Begins with a Participant
Every discovery begins with a question. But at the UNC Nutrition Research Institute, many discoveries also begin with a participant willing to say yes.
In this personal essay, Brooke Giles reflects on what it is like to experience NRI research from the participant side — and why taking part in a study can help advance science, support better health and contribute to discoveries that may benefit families, communities and future generations. Continue Reading Every Discovery Begins with a Participant
The Invisible Middle of Research
At the UNC Nutrition Research Institute, discovery does not happen in a single moment. Between the first research question and the final publication is the careful, often unseen work of planning, recruiting participants, gathering data, building teams, and refining ideas. This invisible middle is where science takes shape. Continue Reading The Invisible Middle of Research
Natalia Krupenko, PhD, and Stephen Hursting, PhD, named 2026 Excellence in Nutrition Fellows of the American Society for Nutrition
The UNC Nutrition Research Institute is proud to celebrate Natalia Krupenko, PhD, and Stephen Hursting, PhD, MPH, who have been named 2026 Excellence in Nutrition Fellows of the American Society for Nutrition.
The FASN designation recognizes distinguished members of ASN for their ongoing contributions to the field of nutrition and sustained engagement in the nutrition community. For Krupenko and Hursting, the honor reflects not only individual achievement, but also the long-term impact of research that is helping shape how scientists understand the relationship between nutrition, metabolism, chronic disease, and lifelong health. Continue Reading Natalia Krupenko, PhD, and Stephen Hursting, PhD, named 2026 Excellence in Nutrition Fellows of the American Society for Nutrition
The Making of a Scientist: Halle Meyers’s NRI Experience
Halle Meyer’s journey at the UNC Nutrition Research Institute began in 2020, when she joined the institute as a 21-year-old research technician in the lab of Sergey Krupenko, MD, PhD. Nearly six years later, she successfully defended her dissertation, earned her PhD in Nutrition from UNC-Chapel Hill, and leaves the NRI with not only scientific expertise, but a deep appreciation for the community and mentorship that shaped her along the way. Continue Reading The Making of a Scientist: Halle Meyers’s NRI Experience
NGx Highlights NRI’s Pioneering Role in Precision Nutrition and Exercise Across the Lifespan
Dr. John Batsis Brings Expertise in Aging, Obesity, and Clinical Research to the NRI
NGx brings together forward-thinking minds at the intersection of nutrition, genetics, and health to explore where science is going next—and how it’s already shaping the way we understand and apply precision nutrition. This is more than a conference; it is a chance to engage directly with the research, the people behind it, and the ideas that are redefining the field. Continue Reading Dr. John Batsis Brings Expertise in Aging, Obesity, and Clinical Research to the NRI
Precision Nutrition begins in the Kitchen
NGx brings together forward-thinking minds at the intersection of nutrition, genetics, and health to explore where science is going next—and how it’s already shaping the way we understand and apply precision nutrition. This is more than a conference; it is a chance to engage directly with the research, the people behind it, and the ideas that are redefining the field. Continue Reading Precision Nutrition begins in the Kitchen
From Gap Year to Groundbreaking Research: Brendon Coats Recognized with First-Generation Student Research Award
When Brendon Coats graduated high school, he did not have a clear plan for what came next. Today, he is an undergraduate biology student at UNC Charlotte, a Research Technician in the Smith Lab at the UNC Nutrition Research Institute (NRI), and a recipient of the First-Generation Student Research Award—an honor recognizing both academic achievement and research excellence. His path into science did not begin in a classroom. It began during a gap year, when a connection led him to an internship at the NRI’s Clinical Research Center. Continue Reading From Gap Year to Groundbreaking Research: Brendon Coats Recognized with First-Generation Student Research Award