Nutrition, MRC Collaborative Centre for Human Nutrition Research: University of Cambridge

Human Nutrition Research (HNR) is dedicated to advancing knowledge of the relationships between nutrition and health. Funded by the MRC, HNR undertakes basic and applied research on the links between nutrition and health in order to provide the scientific evidence on which nutritional policy and practice is based. HNR serves as a national centre of excellence for the measurement and interpretation of biochemical, functional and dietary indicators of nutritional status and health.

In addition to research, HNR acts as an independent source of authoritative scientific advice and information on matters relating to nutrition and health. Activities in this area are co-ordinated through the Nutrition and Health Section and are aimed primarily at industry, charities, health professionals and the media.

Key research areas

HNR is committed to developing the scientific evidence base for nutrition policy and practice. They combine fundamental investigations of cellular mechanisms with whole-body physiology and community-based observational and intervention studies.

The activities of HNR are organised within five research sections:

• Micronutrient Status Research (Dr Jonathan Powell)
• Nutrition and Health Research (Dr Susan Jebb)
• Nutrition and Bone Health Research (Dr Ann Prentice)
• Population Nutrition Research (Dr Alison Stephen)
• Bioanalytical Research (Dr Dietrich Volmer)

HNR has a special interest in:

1. Public Health; particularly defining nutritional vulnerability in specific population groups, such as infants, children, adolescents, pregnant and lactating women, the elderly and those in developing countries;
2. understanding the role of nutrition in the development of disease processes,
   including:

• Inflammation
• Vascular disease and hypertension
• Obesity and its co-morbidities
• Osteoporosis and growth retardation
• Iron deficiency anaemia
• Diabetes

Research collaborations

HNR engages with government departments, international agencies, industry and the larger academic community to conduct collaborative and commissioned projects. These include the Food Standards Agency, the Department of Health, the International Atomic Energy Agency and other MRC-funded research programmes, as well as the University's Clinical School.

Further information:

• www.mrc-hnr.cam.ac.uk