About the HNRCA

Our Mission

To be a preeminent research hub at the nexus of aging and nutrition, renowned for transforming life’s later years into a period marked by robust health, realized potential, and profound fulfillment.

About the Center

The Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at Tufts University is one of the largest research centers in the world studying healthy aging and its relationship to nutrition and physical activity. We are a bench-to-bedside research center that generates translational scientific results.

Located in Boston, MA, the HNRCA is one of six human nutrition research centers supported by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and operates under a cooperative agreement between the USDA and Tufts University.  

The HNRCA is also the Tufts University resource for training graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in nutrition and aging research. Many HNRCA scientists are faculty at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, School of Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences at Tufts University and/or have appointments at Tufts Medical Center. HNRCA scientists have ongoing collaborations across three Tufts University campuses and serve in university leadership positions.

Our Impact

We have made significant contributions to U.S. and international nutritional and physical activity recommendations and clinical healthcare.

Our research contributions include advancements in:

• Highlighting the promise of Precision Nutrition for personalized dietary recommendations.
• Revealing that higher vitamin D levels are associated with a lower risk of developing type two diabetes in adults at high risk.
• Identifying that cellular senescence markers in the blood are linked to mobility disability, and physical activity may reduce these markers.
• Developing guidance on how to design optimal clinical trials to address current nutrition questions.
• Showing that cellular senescence markers are associated with cognitive decline and may indicate early signs of dementia.
• Finding that high-quality carbohydrate intake is linked to healthy aging, with whole grains, fruits, and vegetables being particularly beneficial.
• Finding that higher brain concentrations of vitamin K are linked to lower odds of cognitive impairment and neuroinflammation.
• Indicating that flavonoid-rich fruits, such as citrus and blueberries, may reduce the risk of developing dementia.
• Finding that calorie restriction reduces harmful biological products from senescent cells and improves insulin sensitivity.

Our Focus

Our focus is on Precision Healthy Aging and is rooted in the understanding that nutrition is a cornerstone of health and a preventive measure against chronic diseases. We are building on that with a geroscience-infused approach to better understand how aging processes contribute to diseases.

We are committed to understanding the complex interplay of factors that influence aging. By using artificial intelligence and data sciences, we aim to personalize prevention strategies, slow age-related deterioration, and improve healthy aging for everyone.