Helena Pachon

Helena Pachon is a Research Professor at the Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University. She specializes in food-based strategies to address malnutrition, with a focus on crop biofortification and industrial fortification. Her work bridges agriculture and public health, particularly in scaling large-scale fortification programs globally.

Education:

• PhD, Cornell University
• MPH, Harvard University
• MS and BS, Cornell University

Research Interests: Her research emphasizes vitamin and mineral fortification in staple foods, including wheat flour, maize, and rice. She evaluates policy implementation, legislative frameworks, and program monitoring to enhance micronutrient intake. Key areas include neural tube defect prevention via folic acid fortification, anemia reduction, and cost-effectiveness analysis of fortification programs.

Awards & Recognition: No explicit awards listed, but her leadership in the Food Fortification Initiative and contributions to global health policy indicate significant professional impact.

Grants & Projects:

• Recipient of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation funding for large-scale fortification projects
• Developed implementation science frameworks for fortification programs
• Conducted multi-country analyses on fortification legislation and monitoring systems

Labs/Teams: Leads the Global Health Nutrition Program in Peru and contributes to the Food Fortification Initiative’s research arm, focusing on evidence-based policy translation.