Twenty years of research in the Human Nutrition Research Centre, Newcastle University, 1994–2014

Abstract

The Human Nutrition Research Centre (HNRC) in Newcastle University was established in 1994 as a multidisciplinary, cross-faculty research centre under the direction of Professors John Mathers and Andrew Rugg-Gunn. The remit of the centre was to undertake research into the links between nutrition and health and, in particular, on interventions that could reduce the risk of common noncommunicable diseases and so improve public health. Although that remains the central goal, we have expanded our research approaches to take advantage of emerging technologies such as those in nutrigenomics and have major interests in interactions between nutrition and the genome. Innovative methodology is central to advances in all sciences and we have undertaken research on new tools for the measurement of dietary intake that are appropriate for different population groups to span all life stages. In 2008, we were re-designated as a University Research Centre. This article has been written to outline the work that the centre has undertaken to celebrate 20 years of nutrition research in the HNRC.