Dr. Alaofè research focuses on diet, lifestyle and behavioral interventions, and specifically on maternal, child, and adolescent health. She has expertise in mixed-methods research, which she uses for program development and evaluation. Her notable work includes developing a culturally tailored Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) and leading the Solar Market Garden program, a two-year study on the effects of solar-powered irrigation on food security, nutritional status, and women's empowerment. She also conducted a four-year trial to address anemia among boarding adolescent girls in Benin. Her research has been funded by international organizations, universities, and NIH grants. Additionally, Dr. Alaofè has developed dietary assessment methodologies and evaluated community-based interventions among African and indigenous populations. She served as a Nutrition Research Advisor for the USAID Health Care Improvement Project, analyzing Zambia's national food consumption survey, and contributed to a report for Feed the Future on agriculture's impact on nutrition.

Research Areas: 

• Diet, lifestyle and behavioral interventions
• Global health

Publications:

Alaofè H, Mahdavimanshadi M, Mizéhoun-Adissoda C, Okechukwu A, Hounkpatin WA, Bedrick EJ, Gninkoun J, Fan N, Ehiri J. Precision nutrition for type 2 diabetes in Benin: leveraging linear goal programming to optimize diets with emphasis on adequacy, affordability, accessibility, and culture. Front Nutr. 2024 Aug 8;11:1400594. 

Taren D, Alaofè H, Yamanaka AB, Coleman P, Fleming T, Aflague T, Shallcross L, Wilkens L, Novotny R. Diet and Acanthosis Nigricans over a Two-Year Period in Children of the Pacific Region. Nutrients. 2023 Jun 12;15(12):2718. 

Alaofè H, Okechukwu A, Yeo S, Magrath P, Amoussa Hounkpatin W, Ehiri J, Rosales C. Formative Qualitative Research: Design Considerations for a Self-Directed Lifestyle Intervention for Type-2 Diabetes Patients Using Human-Centered Design Principles in Benin. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Sep 14;19(18):11552.