Research Leader
US Department of Agriculture
Alanna Moshfegh, M.S., R.D., is Research Leader, Food Surveys Research Group at the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center for the United States Department of Agriculture. She has previously served in numerous positions in USDA including Assistant to the Administrator in the Human Nutrition Information Service and nutritionist in the Food and Nutrition Service. She received her M.S. in nutrition and food service management from the University of Nebraska and her B.S. in nutrition and dietetics from North Dakota State University. In her current position, Ms. Moshfegh is responsible for directing What We Eat in America, the dietary interview component of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. She oversees data preparation for public release data files, statistical reports and research papers; initiates enhancements to national dietary data collection methodology; and develops nutrient databases of foods commonly consumed. She directed development and validation of USDA’s Automated Multiple-Pass Method, a 5-step 24-hour dietary recall system used in What We Eat in America and in research studies in the U.S. and internationally. Her research interests focus on food consumption and nutritional adequacy, dietary assessment, food and nutrition policy, and dietary guidelines. Ms. Moshfegh is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and a member and Fellow of the American Society for Nutrition.