AI-Powered Nutritional Management for Cardiometabolic Health
A human-centred approach to ASCVD prevention among African immigrants
An ongoing Executive MBA thesis at ESADE Business School
Full title: “Design and Development of an AI-Powered Nutritional Management Product for Cardiometabolic Health among African Immigrants: A Human-Centred Approach to ASCVD Prevention.”
How might artificial intelligence help make personalised nutrition support more accessible, culturally relevant and practical for African immigrants at risk of cardiovascular disease?
This question sits at the centre of my ongoing research, which explores the design and development of an AI-powered nutritional management product for cardiometabolic health among African immigrants, using a human-centred approach to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) prevention.
Why this research matters
Cardiometabolic conditions, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, obesity and cardiovascular disease, are influenced by a complex combination of biological, behavioural, social and environmental factors. For African immigrants, nutrition guidance may also need to account for differences in food culture, familiar ingredients, eating patterns and the realities of adapting to a new food environment.
Digital health tools and artificial intelligence offer opportunities to make nutrition support more personalised and responsive. However, a product cannot be effective simply because it uses AI. It must reflect the needs of the people who use it, translate nutritional knowledge into practical guidance and account for the cultural and everyday contexts in which food decisions are made.
What I am exploring
The research brings together three areas:
Human-centred product design.
Understanding the needs, behaviours and experiences of African immigrants to inform the design of a nutrition management product.
AI-enabled nutritional support.
Exploring how AI could support personalised nutrition guidance and help translate complex health information into practical, relevant recommendations.
Cardiometabolic health and prevention.
Investigating how a nutrition-focused digital intervention might support healthier behaviours and contribute to cardiovascular risk reduction.
Why this connects to my work
This research builds on my experience in clinical nutrition, digital health product development and healthcare innovation. Having worked across clinical practice and health technology, I am interested in the gap between what clinical evidence recommends and what people can realistically implement in their daily lives.
My aim is to bring clinical understanding, product thinking and human-centred design together to investigate how AI-enabled nutrition support can better serve populations whose food cultures and healthcare needs are not always adequately represented in mainstream digital health products.
Current status
In progress · ESADE Executive MBA thesis
This research is currently in development. The questions, design approach and resulting product direction are being explored through the thesis process; the final findings and conclusions have not yet been established.
This page will be updated as the research progresses.