My research interest lies in food-based approaches to address malnutrition. I worked for several years at the intersection of agriculture and nutrition with crop biofortification: naturally breeding staple crops to have higher nutrient levels. Currently, I support industrial fortification: adding vitamins and minerals to staple foods as they are processed for human consumption.
Contact Information
1518 Clifton Rd NE
Atlanta , GA 30322
Phone: +1 404 727 9194
Email: helena.pachon@emory.edu
Education
- PhD 2006, Cornell University
- MPH 2002, Harvard University
- MS 1996, Cornell University
- BS 1993, Cornell University
Affiliations & Activities
Research Director, Food Fortification Initiative
Member of the Graduate Faculty, Nutrition and Health Sciences Program
Instructor and Founding Director of the Global Health Nutrition Program in Peru, Center for the Study of Human Health
Publications
- Wagh K, Kancherla V, Dorsey A, Pachón H, Oakley GP Jr., 2024, A global update on the status of prevention of folic acid-preventable spina bifida and anencephaly in year 2022, Birth Defects Research, 116, e2343
- Loechl CU, Datta-Mitra A, Fenlason L, Green R, Hackl L, Itzkowitz L, Koso-Thomas M, Moorthy D, Owino VO, Pachón H, Stoffel N, Zimmerman MB, Raiten DJ, 2024, Approaches to address the anemia challenge, Journal of Nutrition, 153, S42-S59
- Tsang BL, Stadnik C, Duong M, Pachón H, Martinez H, 2024, Expanding fortification with folic acid: thinking outside the cereal-grain box, Nutrients, 16, 1312
- Qi YP, Crider KS, Williams AM, Tripp K, Mapango C, Rhodes EC, Nyirenda E, Phiri F, Zhang M, Jabbar S, Pfeiffer CM, Pachón H, Zimmerman S, Williams JL, 2024, Folate and vitamin B12 status and predicted neural tube defects risk among nonpregnant women of reproductive age from the Malawi National Micronutrient Survey, 2015-2016, Birth Defects Research, 116, e2329
- Adams KP, Vosti, SA, Tarini A, Beye M, Pachón H, Kiselova S, Engle-Stone R, 2024, Potential contributions of bouillon fortification to meeting micronutrient requirements among women and children in Senegal, The potential contributions of bouillon fortification to meeting micronutrient requirements among women and preschool children in Senegal: A modeling study using household consumption and expenditure survey data, 1537, 98-112
- Ghotme KA, Arynchyna-Smith A, Maleknia P, Kancherla V, Pachón H, J Van der Wees P, Bocchino JM, Rosseau GL, 2023, Barriers and facilitators to the implementation of mandatory folate fortification as an evidence-based policy to prevent neural tube defects, Child’s Nervous System, 39, 1805-1812
- Uerling J, Nieckula E, Mico K, Bonifaz Rosas A, Cohen E, Pachón H, 2023, Salt-containing recipes in popular magazines with the highest circulation in the United States do not specify iodized salt in the ingredient list, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20, 4595
- Kancherla V, Wagh K, Priyadarshini P, Pachón H, Oakley GP Jr, 2022, A global update on the status of prevention of folic acid-preventable spina bifida and anencephaly in year 2020: 30-Year anniversary of gaining knowledge about folic acid's prevention potential for neural tube defects, Birth Defects Research, 114, 1392-1403
- Greenwald RP, Childs L, Pachón H, Timmer A, Houston R, Codling K, 2022, Comparison of salt iodization requirements in national standards with global guidelines, Current Developments in Nutrition, 6, nzac116
- Rondini KA, Xu W, Chai Y, Pachón H, Kancherla V, 2022, National mandatory grain fortification legislation decreases anemia prevalence among non-pregnant women of reproductive age: findings from multiple Demographic and Health Surveys, Journal of Nutrition, 152, 2922-2930
- Kancherla V, Wagh K, Pachón H, Oakley GP, 2021, A 2019 global update on folic acid-preventable spina bifida and anencephaly, Birth Defects Research, 113, 77-89
- Martínez H, Pachón H, Kancherla V, Oakley GP, 2021, Food fortification with folic acid prevents spina bifida and anencephaly: a need for paradigm shift in evidence evaluation for policy-making, American Journal of Epidemiology, 190, 1972-6
- Bobrek KS, Broersen B, Aburto NJ, Garg A, Serdula M, Beltrán Velázquez F, Wong EC, Pachón H, 2021, Most national, mandatory flour fortification standards do not align with international recommendations for iron, zinc, and vitamin B12 levels, Food Policy, 99, 101996
- Teachout E, Rowe LA, Pachón H, Tsang BL, Yeung LF, Rosenthal J, Razzaghi H, Moore M, Panagides D, Milani P, Cannon MJ, 2021, Systematic process framework for conducting implementation science research in food fortification programs, Global Health Science and Practice, 9, 412-21
- Pachón H, Reynolds B, Duong M, Tsang BL, Childs L, Luthringer CL, Kang Y, Vasta FC, Codling K, 2021, The potential contribution of fortified maize flour, oil, rice, salt, and wheat flour to Estimated Average Requirements and Tolerable Upper Intake Levels for 15 nutrients in 153 countries, Nutrients, 13, 579
- Friesen VM, Mbuya MNN, Aaron GJ, Pachón H, Adegoke O, Noor RA, Swart R, Kaaya A, Wieringa FT, Neufeld LM, 2020, Fortified foods are major contributors to apparent intakes of vitamin A and iodine, but not iron, in diets of women of reproductive age in 4 African countries, Journal of Nutrition, 150, 2183–2190
- Walani SR, Hiebert L, Pachón H, Mwaisaka R, 2020, Prevention of birth defects in East Africa: a review of national policies, African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, 20, 15740-63
- Kancherla V, Pachón H, Blencowe H, Martinez H, Oakley GP Jr, Berry RJ, 2020, The fallacy of using administrative data in assessing the effectiveness of food fortification. Comment on ‘Folic acid fortification and neural tube defect risk: analysis of the Food Fortification Initiative dataset', Nutrients, 12, 1352
- Fothergill A, Fonseca Centeno ZY, Ocampo Téllez PR, Pachón H, 2019, Consumption of fortified wheat flour and associations with anemia and low serum ferritin in Colombia, Perspectivas en Nutrición Humana, 21, 159-71
- Yoo YM, Atkin RA, Pachón H, 2019, Development of a food composition table to analyze Senegalese food expenditure data, African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, 19,
- Centeno Tablante E, Pachón H, Guetterman HM, Finkelstein JL, 2019, Fortification of wheat and maize flour with folic acid for population health outcomes (Review), Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 7,
- Head JR, Pachón H, Tadesse W, Tesfamariam M, Freeman MC, 2019, Integration of water, sanitation, hygiene and nutrition programming is associated with lower prevalence of child stunting and fever in Oromia, Ethiopia, African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, ,
- Imhoff-Kunsch B, Shakya I, Diatalau Namohunu SA, Pitaboe A, Wong P, Tsang BL, Codling K, Foley J, Pachón H, 2019, Potential dietary contributions from rice and wheat flour fortification in the Solomon Islands: results from the 2012-13 Household Income and Expenditure Survey, Food and Nutrition Bulletin, 40, 71-86
- Marks KJ, Luthringer CL, Ruth LJ, Rowe LA, Khan NA, De-Regil LM, López X, Pachón H, 2018, Review of grain fortification legislation, standards, and monitoring documents, Global Health: Science and Practice, 6, 356-71
- Bronder KL, Zimmerman SL, van den Wijngaart A, Codling K, Johns KAG, Pachón H, 2017, Instant noodles made with fortified wheat flour to improve micronutrient intake in Asia: a review of simulation, nutrient retention and sensory studies, Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 26, 191-201
- Arth A, Kancherla V, Pachón H, Zimmerman S, Johnson Q, Oakley G, 2016, A 2015 global update on folic acid-preventable spina bifida and anencephaly, Birth Defects Research Part A: Clinical and Molecular Teratology, ,
- Tsang BL, Moreno R, Dabestani N, Pachón H, Spohrer R, Milani P, 2016, Public and private sector dynamics in scaling up rice fortification: The Colombian experience and its lessons, Food and Nutrition Bulletin, 37, 317-328
- Garcia-Casal MN, Peña-Rosas JP, Pachón H, De-Regil LM, Centeno Tablante E, Flores-Urrutia MC, 2016, Staple crops biofortified with increased micronutrient content: effects on vitamin and mineral status, as well as health and cognitive function in the general population, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, ,
- Barkley JS, Wheeler KS, Pachón H, 2015, Anaemia prevalence may be reduced among countries that fortify flour, British Journal of Nutrition, 114, 265-73
- Barkley JS, Kendrick KL, Codling K, Muslimatun S, Pachón H, 2015, Anaemia prevalence over time in Indonesia: estimates from the 1997, 2000, and 2008 Indonesia Family Life Surveys, Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 24, 452-5
- Pachón H, Spohrer R, Mei Z, Serdula M, 2015, Evidence of the effectiveness of flour fortification programs on iron status and anemia: a systematic review, Nutrition Reviews, ,
- Pachón H, 2015, Experiencias globales de la fortificación de la harina con ácido fólico para disminuir los defectos del tubo neural / [Global experience with folic acid fortification of flour to reduce neural tube defects], Anales Venezolanos de Nutrición, 28, 38-42
- Parra DC, Iannotti L, Gomez LF, Pachón H, Haire-Joshu D, Sarmiento OL, Kuhlmann AS, Brownsoon RC, 2015, The nutrition transition in Colombia over a decade: a novel household classification system of anthropometric measures, Archives of Public Health, 73,
- Liu P, Bhatia R, Pachón H, 2014, Food fortification in India: A literature review, Indian Journal of Community Health, 26, s59-s74
- Laterra A, Ayoya MA, Beaulière JM, Bienfait M, Pachón H, 2014, Infant and young child feeding in four departments in Haiti: mixed-method study on prevalence of recommended practices and related attitudes, beliefs, and other determinants, Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública, 36(5):306-13, ,
- Zimmerman S, Baldwin R, Codling K, Hindle P, Montgomery S, Pachón H, Maberly G, 2014, Mandatory policy: most successful way to maximize fortification’s effect on vitamin and mineral deficiency, Indian Journal of Community Health, 26, 369-374
- Peña-Rosas JP, García-Casal MN, Pachón H, Mclean MS, Arabi M, 2014, Technical considerations for maize flour and corn meal fortification in public health: Consultation rationale and summary, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1312, 1-7
- Kordas K, Fonseca Centeno ZY, Pachón H, Jimenez Soto AZ, 2013, Being overweight or obese is associated with lower prevalence of anemia among Colombian women of reproductive age, Journal of Nutrition, 143, 175-181
- Gómez Jiménez JE, Pico Fonseca SM, Bueno Fernández E, Pachón H, 2013, Comparando la condición física entre niños colombianos y referencias cubanas / [Physical fitness in Colombian children versus Cuban references], Revista Internacional de Medicina y Ciencias de la Actividad Física y el Deporte, 13, 687-702
- Daelmans B, Ferguson E, Lutter CK, Singh N, Pachón H, Creed-Kanashiro H, Woldt M, Mangasaryan N, Cheung E, Mir R, Pareja R, Briend A, 2013, Designing appropriate complementary feeding recommendations: Tools for programmatic action, Maternal & Child Nutrition, 9 (Suppl 2), 116-130
- Pachón H, 2013, Folatos y riesgo de cáncer de mama, Revista Médica de Chile, 141, 272
- Pachón H, Kancherla V, Handforth B, Tyler V, Bauwens L, 2013, Folic-acid fortification of wheat flour: a cost-effective public-health intervention to prevent birth defects in Europe, Nutrition Bulletin, 38, 201-209
- Pérez-Suárez S, Carrillo-Centeno P, Moncada-Salmerón D, Pachón H, 2012, Aceptación potencial de maíces con alta calidad proteica por familias productoras al norte de Nicaragua, Agronomía Mesoamericana, 23, 21-27
- Correa Gordillo J, Ortiz Osorio DA, Larrahondo JE, Sánchez Mejía M, Pachón H, 2012, Actividad antioxidante en guanábana (Annona muricata l.): una revisión bibliográfica, Boletín Latinoamericano y del Caribe de Plantas Medicinales y Aromáticas, 11, 111–126
- Aragón I, Ortiz D, Pachón H, 2012, Comparison between in vitro and in vivo methods to screen iron bioavailability, CyTA - Journal of Food, 10, 103-111
- Pico Fonseca SM, Pachón H, 2012, Factores asociados con la seguridad alimentaria en un municipio rural del norte del Cauca, Colombia, Archivos Latinoamericanos de Nutrición, 62, 227-233
- Iannotti LL, Robles M, Pachón H, Chiarella C, 2012, Food prices and poverty negatively affect micronutrient intakes in Guatemala, Journal of Nutrition, 142, 1568-1576
- Kulkarni S, Ramakrishnan U, Dearden KA, Marsh DR, Ha TT, Tran TD, Pachón H, 2012, Greater length-for-age increases the odds of attaining motor milestones in Vietnamese children aged 5-18 months, Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 21, 241-246
- Ceballos H, Luna J, Escobar AF, Ortiz D, Pérez JC, Sánchez T, Pachón H, Dufour D, 2012, Spatial distribution of dry matter in yellow fleshed cassava roots and its influence on carotenoid retention upon boiling, Food Research International, 45, 52-59
- Carrillo Centeno P, Chow Z, Cuadra S, Brenes D, Pachón H, 2011, Aceptación de tres líneas de fríjol (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) mejorado nutricionalmente por los consumidores nicaragüenses, Perspectivas en Nutrición Humana, 13, 179-189
- Gutiérrez D, Ortiz D, Pachón H, 2011, Efecto del tratamiento fermentativo con mieles de caña y abeja en la calidad proteica de alimentos cárnicos y lácteos, Revista Biotecnología en el Sector Agropecuario y Agroindustrial, 9, 49-57
- Pico Fonseca SM, Gutiérrez D, Aragón I, Escobar A, Ortiz D, Sánchez T, Imbachí P, Pachón H. , 2011, Evaluación de la composición nutricional, antinutricional y biodisponibilidad in vitro de diferentes extractos foliares, Revista Chilena de Nutrición, 38, 168-176
- García Montecinos KL, Godoy Godoy JA, Carrillo Centeno PM, Pachón H, 2011, Evaluación sensorial de arroz (Oryza sativa) variedad Azucena en la Región Autónoma del Atlántico Norte en Nicaragua, Perspectivas en Nutrición Humana, 13, 135-146
- Tofiño A, Tofiño R, Cabal D, Melo A, Camarillo W, Pachón H, 2011, Evaluación sensorial de frijol (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) mejorado nutricionalmente en cinco municipios del departamento del Cesar-Colombia, Perspectivas en Nutrición Humana, 13, 161-177
- Serrano Romero AC, Vílchez Morales EY, Sandino Silva CM, Carrillo Centeno P, Pachón H, 2011, Evaluación sensorial de tortas de camote (Ipomoea batatas), elaboradas con o sin hojas de camote, con niños en edad escolar en Nicaragua, Perspectivas en Nutrición Humana, 13, 191-202
- Puldón Padrón V, Suárez Crestelo E, Caraballo RA, Pachón H, Martínez CP, 2011, Preferencia y aceptabilidad de la variedad de arroz IACuba 30 con alto contenido de hierro y zinc por mujeres gestantes en Cuba, Perspectivas en Nutrición Humana, 13, 123-134
- Ortiz D, Sánchez T, Morante N, Ceballos H, Pachón H, Duque MC, Chávez AL, Escobar AF, 2011, Sampling strategies for proper quantification of carotenoid content in cassava breeding, Journal of Plant Breeding and Crop Science, 3, 14-23
- Vesga Varela AL, Pachón H, Hyman G, Monserrate Rojas FA, Zapata-Caldas E, 2011, Un esquema conceptual para identificar localidades com poblaciones em riesgo de anemia y desnutrición crónica, Revista Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional, 18, 93-105
- Ortiz D, Sánchez T, Acosta H, Pachón H, 2011, Validation of an analytical methodology to quantify cyanogenic glucosides in commercial cassava products, Vitae, 18, 319-324
- Rasheed S, Haider R, Hassan N, Pachón H, Islam S, Jalal CSB, Sanghvi TG, 2011, Why does child nutrition deteriorate rapidly among under two’s? Using qualitative methods to understand community perspectives on complementary feeding practices in Bangladesh, Food and Nutrition Bulletin, 32, 192-200
- Haider R, Rasheed S, Sanghvi TG, Hassan N, Pachón H, Islam S, Jalal CSB, 2010, Breastfeeding in infancy: identifying the program-relevant issues in Bangladesh, International Breastfeeding Journal, 5, 21
- Gómez González LK, Restrepo J, Pachón H, 2010, Caracterización del consumo de maíz y fríjol en familias del departamento del Cauca, Colombia, Perspectivas en Nutrición Humana, 12, 87-98
- Imbachí-Narváez PC, Gutiérrez D, Ortiz D, Pachón H, 2010, Evaluación del valor nutricional de recetas típicas elaboradas con maíz común y biofortificado en el Departamento del Cauca, Colombia, Salud Pública de México, 52, 305-314
- Leyva Martínez RM, Pachón H, Chaveco Pérez O, Permuy Abeleira N, Ferraz Tellez Y, Caballero Espinosa N, García Sanchez E, 2010, Evaluación sensorial de fríjol (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) mejorado nutricionalmente en dos comunidades cubanas, Agronomía Mesoamericana, 21, 281-288
- Rivas Abadía X, Pazos SC, Castillo Castillo SK, Pachón H, 2010, Investigación sobre alimentos autóctonos de las comunidades indígenas y afrodescendientes de Colombia, Archivos Latinoamericanos de Nutrición, 60, 211-219
- Pachón H, Stoltzfus RJ, Glahn RP, 2009, Homogenization, lyophilization or acid-extraction of meat products improves iron uptake from cereal-meat product combinations in an in vitro digestion/Caco-2 cell model, British Journal of Nutrition, 101, 816-821
- Pérez-Escamilla R, Dessalines M, Finnigan M, Pachón H, Hromi-Fiedler A, Gupta N, 2009, Household food insecurity is associated with childhood malaria in rural Haiti, Journal of Nutrition, 139, 2132-2138
- Zapata-Caldas E, Hyman G, Pachón H, Monserrate FA, Vesga Varela L, 2009, Identifying candidate sites for crop biofortification in Latin America: Case studies in Colombia, Nicaragua and Bolivia, International Journal of Health Geographics, 8, 29
- Pachón H, Ortiz DA, Araujo C, Blair MW, Restrepo J, 2009, Iron, zinc and protein bioavailability proxy measures of meals prepared with nutritionally enhanced beans and maize, Journal of Food Science, 74, H147-H154
- Monserrate Rojas FA, Pachón H, Hyman GG, Vesga Varela AL. , 2009, Metodología para seleccionar zonas de intervención con cultivos biofortificados, Pan American Journal of Public Health, 26, 419-428
- Pachón H, Stoltzfus RJ, Glahn RP, 2008, Chicken thigh, chicken liver and iron-fortified wheat flour increase iron uptake in an in vitro digestion/Caco-2 cell model, Nutrition Research, 28, 851-858
- Ortega Alemán EdC, Coulson Romero AJ, Ordóñez Argueta LI, Pachón H, 2008, Efectos de la ingesta de maíz de alta calidad de proteína (QPM) versus maíz convencional en el crecimiento y la morbilidad de niños nicaragüenses desnutridos de 1 a 5 años de edad, Archivos Latinoamericanos de Nutrición, 58, 377-385
- Muñoz López MdM, Revelo MC, Pachón H, 2008, El consumo y la producción familiar de fríjol, maíz, yuca, batata y arroz en un municipio rural en Colombia: Evaluación de la posibilidad de implementar la biofortificación de cultivos, Perspectivas en Nutrición Humana, 10, 11-21
- Pachón H, Liria Domínguez MR, Creed-Kanashiro H, Stoltzfus RJ, 2007, Acceptability and safety of novel infant porridges containing lyophilized meat powder and iron-fortified wheat flour, Food and Nutrition Bulletin, 28, 35-46
- Pachón H, Simondon KB, Fall ST, Menon P, Ruel MT, Hotz C, Creed-Kanashiro H, Arce B, Liria Domínguez MR, Frongillo EA, Brown DL, 2007, Constraints to delivering animal source foods to infants and young children: Case studies from 5 countries, Food and Nutrition Bulletin, 28, 215-229
- Schroeder DG, Pachón H, Dearden KA, Kwon CB, Ha TT, Lang TT, Marsh DR, 2002, An integrated child nutrition intervention improved growth of younger, more malnourished children in northern Viet Nam, Food and Nutrition Bulletin, 23S, 53-61
- Ha PB, Bentley ME, Pachón H, Sripaipan T, Caulfield LE, Marsh DR, Schroeder DG, 2002, Caregiver styles of feeding and child acceptance of food in rural Viet Nam, Food and Nutrition Bulletin, , 23S, 95-100
- Marsh DR, Pachón H, Schroeder DG, Ha TT, Dearden KA, Lang TT, Hien ND, Tuan DA, Thach TD, Claussenius DR, 2002, Design of a prospective, randomized evaluation of an integrated nutrition program in rural Viet Nam, Food and Nutrition Bulletin, 23S, 36-47
- Pachón H, Schroeder DG, Marsh DR, Dearden KA, Ha TT, Lang TT, 2002, Effect of an integrated child nutrition intervention on the complementary food intake of young children in rural north Viet Nam, Food and Nutrition Bulletin, 23S, 62-69
- Sripaipan T, Schroeder DG, Marsh DR, Pachón H, Dearden KA, Ha TT, Lang TT, 2002, Effect of an integrated nutrition program on child morbidity due to respiratory infection and diarrhea in northern Viet Nam, Food and Nutrition Bulletin, 23S, 70-77
- Hendrickson JL, Dearden KA, Pachón H, An NH, Schroeder DG, Marsh DR, 2002, Empowerment in rural Viet Nam: Exploring changes in mothers and health volunteers in the context of an integrated nutrition project, Food and Nutrition Bulletin, 23S, 86-94
- Dickey VC, Pachón H, Marsh DR, Lang TT, Claussenius DR, Dearden KA, Ha TT, Schroeder DG, 2002, Implementation of nutrition education and rehabilitation programs (NERPs) in Viet Nam, Food and Nutrition Bulletin, 23S, 78-85
- Dearden KA, Quan LN, Do M, Marsh DR, Schroeder DG, Pachón H, Lang TT, 2002, What influences health behavior? Learning from caregivers of young children in Viet Nam, Food and Nutrition Bulletin, 23S, 119-129
- Dearden KA, Quan LN, Do M, Marsh DR, Pachón H, Schroeder DG, Lang TT, 2002, Work outside the home is the primary barrier to exclusive breastfeeding in rural Viet Nam: Insights from mothers who exclusively breastfeed and work, Food and Nutrition Bulletin, 23S, 101-108
- Barenbaum M, Pachón H, Schroeder DG, Hurtado E. , 2001, Use, acceptability, and cost of Incaparina, a commercially processed food in Guatemala, Food and Nutrition Bulletin, 22, 71-80
- Pachón H, Olson CM, 1999, A retrospective analysis of exclusive breastfeeding practices among four Hispanic subgroups in New York's EFNEP, Journal of Nutrition Education, 31, 39-46
- McGuire MK, Pachón H, Butler WR, Rasmussen KM, 1995, Food restriction, gonadotropins and behavior in the lactating rat, Physiology and Behavior, 58, 1243-1249
- Pachón H, McGuire MK, Rasmussen KM, 1995, Nutritional status and behavior during lactation, Physiology and Behavior, 58, 393-400