About the HNRCA The Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at Tufts University is one of six human nutrition research centers in the United States supported by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS). Located on the Tufts Health Sciences campus in downtown Boston, the HNRCA is operated by a cooperative agreement between the USDA and Tufts University, with most of the 140 scientists and staff empoyed by Tufts University. The HNRCA provides a strong research environment that involved multiple research laboratories that engage in cellular and molecular studies, animal studies, human metabolic studies, and epidemiological research. The six in-house scientific core units support the research programs by providing expertise and services