Carol Cheatham, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Psychology (CV)
Dr. Carol Cheatham is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, she earned her Ph.D. in child psychology and neuroscience in 2004. She will be part of the Institute's brain research team. In addition to her appointment with the NRI, Cheatham will also hold an appointment as assistant professor in UNC's department of psychology. She has published research on memory recall in pre-term infants, the role of fatty acids in neonatal brains and how stress impacts brain development, as well as other topics. (more info)

Karina Agopian
Research Assistant, Cheatham Team
Karina Agopian is a Research Assistant for Dr. Cheatham looking at the affects of nutrition on brain development in infants and toddlers. Karina recently moved back to Charlotte, NC after graduating with a B.S. in Biological Sciences and a minor in Psychology from the University of South Carolina. She plans to pursue a graduate degree in Psychology and is enjoying the opportunity to gain experience in her field.

Stewart Dula
Recruiter, Cheatham Team
Stewart Dula is an intern at the NRI. Currently a Senior Psychology major at UNC-Chapel Hill, he plans to intern for the NRI until he graduates. He assists Dr. Cheatham by recruiting participants, creating informational packets and completing tasks associated with current research studies. With aspirations to attend medical school, Stewart plans to utilize his experiences with Dr. Cheatham’s research for future medical endeavors. He enjoys playing golf and watching Tar Heel basketball.

Ben Lovin
Recruiter, Cheatham Team
A Concord native, Ben assists Dr. Cheatham by logging data into databases, recruiting for studies, and completing tasks associated with current studies. Ben will be a Sophomore Chemistry major at Cornell University in the fall. His interest in Dr. Cheatham’s current studies only supplements his aspirations to attend Medical School. His interests include playing tennis, snowboarding, and spending time with friends.

Rachael Murdock
Research Assistant, Cheatham Team
Rachael works with Dr. Cheatham as a Research and Administrative Assistant. She graduated from Queens University of Charlotte in 2006 with a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies and Spanish and a minor in Political Science. She completed her course work for her Master’s degree in International Studies at DePaul University in Chicago and moved home to North Carolina to write her thesis. While writing, she worked last year as a high school teacher and is now enjoying a second opportunity to give back to the community by assisting Dr. Cheatham with her research on nutrition and cognition.

Scott Russell
Recruiter, Cheatham Team
After recently finishing service in the Navy, Scott is currently a freshman at Pfeiffer University studying Psychology. Presently, he is working with the Recruitment Team in the Cheatham Lab, which he finds particularly rewarding given that his research interests and career goals all involve experimental psychology.

Julie Stegall
Recruiter, Cheatham Team
Julie Stegall is a recently-returned native of Kannapolis. She is serving as a recruiter for Dr. Cheatham’s research studies. Julie earned a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications and a Masters in Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her work with children and families spans a variety of locations and settings. As the mother of two young children, she is excited about the NRI's research exploring the impact of nutrition on our children's health and development. She enjoys sharing information with other parents about what they can do to help.

Kelly Will
Research Assistant, Cheatham Team
Kelly is a Kannapolis Scholar and Dr. Cheatham’s graduate student. She is getting a PhD in Developmental Psychology from UNC-Chapel Hill. Originally from Raleigh NC, Kelly graduated with a B.S. in Psychology and a concentration in Poverty and Human Capabilities from Washington & Lee University in 2008. After graduation she worked for two years in Washington DC with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation helping kids learn the basics of nutrition and physical activity. She is excited to get to spend the next two summers in Kannapolis doing research in nutrition and cognitive development.

Martin Kohlmeier, M.D.
Research Professor, Nutrition
Martin Kohlmeier’s expertise is in laboratory diagnostics, nutritional genetics and the use of computers for professional and lay nutrition education, with doctorates in medicine, biochemistry and clinical biochemistry from the universities of Heidelberg and Berlin. He is director of the Nutrition in Medicine project, which provides comprehensive online nutrition education to medical students, physicians and other healthcare providers worldwide. Dr. Kohlmeier searches for small genetic differences that change how much of a nutrient people need for optimal health. He is developing online computer programs that use genetic and other personal information to guide individual food choices in a safe and effective way. He expects that personalized nutrition can make a major impact on the big killer diseases, such as reducing breast cancer risk by a third or more. (more info)

Mihai Niculescu, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Nutrition (CV)
Dr. Niculescu obtained his M.D. degree from Carol Davila University of Medicine in Bucharest, Romania in 1995. He practiced medicine in Romania and was an assistant professor of Physiology at Transylvania University in Brasov, Romania from 1996 to 2000. In 2005 he obtained his Ph.D. in Nutritional Biochemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His research focused on choline and brain development, and he has written numerous articles in this area. His current work studies how high-fat diets alter gene expression. (more info)

Daniel Lupu, M.D.
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Niculescu Team
Dr. Daniel Lupu studied medicine in Romania at Transilvania University School of Medicine. After two years of residency he joined the NRI for the chance to develop his interest in the relationship between prenatal environmental cues (especially nutrition) and fetal brain development—specifically, the epigenetic imprinting that takes place in utero.

Steven H. Zeisel, M.D., Ph.D.
Institute Director (more) (CV)
Dr. Zeisel is recognized as an international leader in nutrition research. His team's work established the requirement for choline, a newly recognized essential part of our diet. His work on nutrition and brain development, genetic variation and diet requirements, environment and nutrition, and medical education are supported by grants from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Zeisel directs one of the NIH national centers of excellence in human nutrition research. (more info)

Mihai George Mehedint, M.D.
Research Associate/Laboratory Manager
Dr. Mehedint studied the impact of maternal choline deficiency on fetal brain development and vision while a postdoctoral fellow at UNC-Chapel Hill. At the NRI, he will study epigenetics and nutrition and how controlling gene expression through diet can potentially allow people to improve health and fight genetic diseases by choosing or avoiding certain foods. He earned a degree in medicine at Transilvania University School of Medicine and completed his residency in Brasov, Romania.

Alyssa Gulledge, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Dr. Alyssa Gulledge came to the NRI from the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where she focused her research in genetic regulation in liver cells. Her research targets omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) and their influence on the stem cells that form the human brains.

Zhong Guo, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Dr. Zhong Guo is an expert in research methods, including mass spectrometry, chromatography, and surface-assisted laser desorption ionization. He studied analytical chemistry at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and is now working at the forefront of developing the field of metabolomics.

Karen Corbin, Ph.D., R.D.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Dr. Corbin received her Bachelor’s Degree in Nutrition and Food Science from Florida State University. After completing her dietetic internship at the James A. Haley Veteran’s Hospital in Tampa, FL, she was a clinical dietitian, certified diabetes educator and co-director of preventive services at the Heart and Vascular Institute of Florida in St. Petersburg. She obtained her PhD in Medical Sciences at the University of South Florida College of Medicine where she studied the regulation of nitric oxide production in the vasculature. Dr. Corbin has a diversified role within the Institute including clinical administration and translational research. She is a National Institutes of Health funded post-doctoral fellow studying the role of nutritional and genetic components in obesity and fatty liver disease.

Seung Wan Ryu
Visiting Scholar, Zeisel Lab
Dr. Ryu is a visiting scholar from Korea, working at the NRI for one year in the Institute Director's lab. Dr. Ryu is an assistant professor in the Department of Surgery at Keimyung University School of Medicine in Korea. He is also the Director of the Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery at Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center. Dr. Ryu has extensive experience in gastric cancer surgery, including laparoscopic surgery, and serves on his hospital's nutritional support team. While at the NRI, Dr. Ryu is studying the effects of diet on cancer metastasis, angiogenesis and wound healing.