New Online Course for Health Professionals, featuring Dr. Azad: Human Milk and the Gut Microbiome3/3/2025
 Credit: https://unlok-education.com/ A new 60-minute online course, developed with the expertise of Dr. Meghan Azad, is now available for healthcare professionals. This course offers an accessible yet comprehensive overview of how human milk influences the developing gut microbiome. It explores the potential links between early microbiome development and the risk of chronic conditions such as asthma, allergies, and obesity. Designed to enhance the understanding of healthcare professionals across various fields, this course provides valuable insights into the crucial role of human milk in shaping long-term health outcomes.
 Left to right: Alie Johnston, Larisa Lotoski, Nathan Nickel, Karinne Muniz, Narges Khodabandehloo, Michelle Olivson, Zahra Nouri, Saeid Khakisahneh. On-screen (left to right): Meghan Azad, Christina Raimondi MILC is thrilled to announce the successful defense of Narges Khodabandehloo’s MSc thesis titled, “Lactating Parents Attending Winnipeg Breastfeeding Centre: A Descriptive Study.” Narges’ hard work and dedication to her research have made a significant contribution to ongoing work at MILC. We also appreciate her wonderful coordination of MILC Club over the past two years. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Narges on this achievement and look forward to seeing her continue to thrive in her next endeavors. We wish her all the best in this exciting next chapter!
 Credit: The International Society for Research in Human Milk and Lactation The International Milk Composition (IMiC) Consortium, led by Meghan Azad, hosted a session at the 22nd International Society for Research in Human Milk & Lactation (ISRHML) Conference held December 9-13th 2024 in South Carolina. Team members presented findings on: i) a multi-omics view of human milk composition across diverse environments, ii) machine learning approaches to predict infant growth, iii) the effects of nutritional interventions on human milk, and iv) learnings from collaborations with lower-middle income countries. A panel featuring HM science experts (Dr Shelly McGuire, University of Idaho and Dr Donna Geddes, University of Western Australia) and policy and practice experts (Dr Lawrence Grummer-Strawn, WHO and Dr Aloka Patel, Rush University) discussed knowledge translation opportunities and challenges. More details of the ISRHML conference can be found here.
 Conference notes and photos. Credit: Bridget McGann THRiVE Discovery Lab and Manitoba Interdisciplinary Lactation Centre (MILC) collaborated with Liminal Creations to bring a science communication workshop to the meeting of the International Society for Research in Human Milk and Lactation (ISRHML). Participants discussed the fraught media landscape and social complexities around infant feeding and public literacy in lactation science, and explored new approaches and perspectives from the field of science communication. The group identified their target audiences for science communication, learned tips and tricks for talking to journalists, and had a chance to speak to a documentary film crew about their work. Additional workshops are under development, both online and in person - if you would like to be notified when registration opens, please email [email protected].
 Credit: The American Journal of Nutrition A new paper titled - “Human milk feeding practices and serum immune profiles of one-year-old infants in the CHILD birth cohort study” - led by Spencer Ames (MILC Club member) was published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. This study aimed to investigate how current human milk feeding (HMF) status is related to infant immune biomarker profiles, as well as explore relationships with HMF history (i.e., duration, exclusivity, and method: directly from the breast or pumped and bottled). Check out the Tweetorial.
Project with MILC Members funded by CIHR to improve breastfeeding support and maternal health11/11/2024
MILC Members Dr. Nathan Nickel (left) and Dr. Garry Shen (right) have both received funding from the CIHR Operating Grant: National Women's Health Research Initiative (NWHRI) Innovation Fund. Their combined funding totals more than $1.1 million.
The project led by Dr. Nickel is titled "THRIVE: Transforming Healthcare through Research to Improve Breastfeeding and Advance Women's Health". This project will expand the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative to community health centres across Canada. The project led by Dr. Shen is titled "Protecting and Supporting Breastfeeding and Lactation Equity in Manitoba through Community-Integrated Education and Care using Culturally Safe and Gender-Affirming Care". This project will address the gaps in access to breastfeeding support in Manitoba, in particular for First Nations families, 2SLGBTQI parents and other underrepresented groups. To read more click here.  Left to right: Zahra Nouri, Narges Khodabandehloo, Laura Noël-Romas, Karinne Muniz, Michelle Olivson, Larisa Lotoski, Saeid Khakisahneh, Rowan Shwaluk, Kelsey Fehr, Sarah Turner and Meghan Azad THRiVE Discovery Lab is proud to celebrate the successful PhD defense of Sarah Turner! Sarah defended her thesis titled: "Infant Feeding and Child Cognition and Behavior: Quantifying Pathways to Understanding the Link in the CHILD Cohort Study." We’re so grateful for Sarah’s contributions to the lab and wish her all the best in her next chapter. Sarah will be working as Post-Doctoral Fellow and Researcher at the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy. Congratulations, Dr. Turner!
Click here to see a thread on Twitter about Sarah's time with THRiVE.  Phot credit: The Social CTV YouTube Channel Dr. Meghan Azad was featured on The Social CTV, where she discussed the benefits of breastfeeding and the latest advances in breast milk research. Watch the full episode here.
 Photo credit: www.gairdner.org As a Gairdner Momentum award recipient, Dr. Meghan Azad gave a lecture on her research in Toronto for Gairdner Science Week in October 2024. A gala was also held for the awardees at the Royal Ontario Museum. Dr. Azad’s lecture and acceptance speech are available from the Gairdner Foundation’s YouTube Channel. Read more about Gairdner Science Week highlights here.
 Photo credit: www.gairdner.org Dr. Meghan Azad and Dr. Gagandeep Kang participated in a panel discussion for the Gairdner Science Week, where they shared their career paths and their challenges as women in science. Attendees included faculty, high school students, and researchers, offering attendees a chance to network. In this panel discussion, the awardees shared their research journeys and experiences that shaped their career. Read more about the event here.
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