MILC Club Member, Dr. Ayesha Saleem received a 2020 University of Manitoba Merit Award for her combination of outstanding teaching, research, scholarly work and creative activities, and service in the Life Sciences, Natural Sciences and Engineering category. The full list of recipients can be found here. Well-deserved and congratulations, Ayesha! 

Congratulations to MILC Club Member, Dr. Ayesha Saleem who was awarded $80,000 through the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) College-Industry Innovation Fund and the John R. Evans Leaders Fund! Dr. Saleem's research program is designed to gain insight into the fundamental role of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in health and disease, including their role in breastmilk. This research will drive discovery-based research and lead to the development of therapeutic interventions for chronic diseases, which will ultimately reduce the burden of chronic diseases that claim numerous lives in Manitoba. Full Release here. 

MILC Club Members shared reflections on breastfeeding to advocate for World Breastfeeding Week 2021 (#WBW2021). WBW has been celebrated every August 1-7 since 1992 in commemoration of the 1990 Innocenti Declaration. Learn how you can #ProtectBreastfeeding by visiting ​worldbreastfeedingweek.org.

MILC Club members Drs. Azad, Nickel, Kearns, Raimondi, Kelly and Ms. Turner presented to a combined Pediatrics & Obstetrics/Gynecology Grand Rounds audience at the UofM on "Clinicians Across Specialties and Research: Collaboration to Improve Breastfeeding Rates and Outcomes." They outlined the updated WHO 10 steps to successful breastfeeding and described a family-centred, collaborative approach connecting clinicians and academic researchers to ultimately overcome barriers and improve breastfeeding rates.

MILC Member, Dr. Merilee Brockway talked to Today’s Parent about the Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI) and how this may intersect with maternal experiences in the post-partum period. While she emphasized the importance of exclusive breastfeeding, she acknowledged that there are situations when formula may be necessary. We know that formula, even one bottle, can impact the infant gut microbiome. However, we also know that maternal mental health is equally important to consider when looking at infant outcomes. It is important to move from the “breast-is-best” or “fed-is-best” mantra to "informed is best" so that mothers are supported to make feeding decisions with a full understanding of the risks and benefits of both. 

Honour 150 presented by Canada Life, recognizes 150 people from across the province who stand out for their role in making Manitoba such an amazing province. Dr. Katherine Kearns was recognized for her work as Physician and co-Founder of the Winnipeg Breastfeeding Centre, the first of its kind in Manitoba. Regarding her work, she says “Watching women respond, become more confident in themselves, and realize how much work they do every day feels so worthwhile.” Congratulations, Katherine!

Uma Yakandawala, MILC trainee and master’s student in the College of Pharmacy, was awarded the Rady Faculty Dean's Prize, which recognizes outstanding academic achievement, notable personal service and strong leadership skills of graduate students. She is researching how to best study medications in breast milk. Uma said her supervisors have contributed to her success by encouraging her and helping guide her throughout her graduate studies. Congratulations, Uma!

Drs. Azad, Nickel, Brockway and others co-authored an article in The Conversation about the importance of breastfeeding research for advancing health and ultimately saving lives, and the counterproductive tensions that arise among researchers, advocates and industry in this field. This article stemmed from their experience co-writing a paper from a workshop about how researchers & stakeholders from different disciplines can collaborate to accelerate progress in the field of breastfeeding, lactation & human milk research. Follow the Tweetorial here! 

11 MILC members co-wrote a correspondence in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition titled "Messaging and methodological considerations when researching breastfeeding and obesity." They addressed concerns about a potentially harmful message in a paper implying milk from mothers with an elevated BMI may predispose their infants to obesity, which is unsupported by the paper's data. Tweetorial here! 

Now in its 12th year, CHILD has produced over 100 scientific publications with breakthrough findings that have been featured by global media outlets. Dr. Azad's breastmilk research work has shown that the way breastmilk reaches the baby is important. “Pumped breastmilk gives baby many of the same health benefits as nursing – it’s just that nursing may have a slight edge,” says Dr. Azad. Read the full success story here!