Dr. Sarah Turner (recent THRiVE PhD graduate) and colleagues have published new research using CHILD study data linked with Manitoba Government data on "school readiness" assessments at kindergarten. This research was also discussed by THRiVE's Director Dr. Meghan Azad in a video for Red River College Science of Early Childhood Development Course. This study is a great example of how research can impact education and practice! Read the Tweetorial here.
Dr. Meghan Azad and Dr. Sarah Turner (recent THRiVE PhD graduate) co-developed a new educational module with CIFAR that examines breastmilk's essential role in microbiome development and infant health, providing nutrition and immune protection. This resource is offered completely free, and includes a video recording, slide deck, and suggested learning activities.
THRiVE Director Highlights the Unmatched Benefits of Breastfeeding for Infant Health and Development4/8/2025
In the French scientific magazine Epsiloon, the article 'Allairtement: Quels sont les bienfaits démontrés?' features Dr. Azad emphasizing the unparalleled benefits of breastfeeding, highlighting its unique ability to adapt to a baby’s changing nutritional and immune needs. Unlike formula, which remains static, breastmilk evolves to provide the right balance of nutrients and antibodies as a baby grows, offering tailored immune protection and fostering a healthy gut microbiome. While breastfeeding can present challenges, when possible, it remains the gold standard for infant nutrition, offering irreplaceable health benefits that formula cannot replicate.
THRiVE Discovery Lab extends its heartfelt congratulations to MSc student Rowan Shwaluk on being awarded a CIHR Canada Graduate Scholarship! This scholarship program aims to foster the development of advanced research skills and support the training of highly qualified personnel, recognizing students who demonstrate exceptional achievement in their undergraduate and early graduate studies. Rowan's research is exploring how human milk components relate to infant immune development. Given the highly competitive nature of these national awards, Rowan’s success is a remarkable accomplishment, and the entire lab is incredibly proud of this milestone!
Members of the THRiVE Discovery Lab recently published a commentary in Microbiome Research Reports focused on the recent study by Shama et al. The study focused on furthering our understanding of the role of breastfeeding in supporting the development of the infant gut microbiome in a high-risk population of very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants. The THRiVE team noted that this study provides a novel characterization of mother-VLBW infant microbiome dynamics and raises several important questions for future studies.
New Online Course for Health Professionals, featuring Dr. Azad: Human Milk and the Gut Microbiome3/3/2025
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.
THRiVE Discovery Lab 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 the lab’s ongoing work. 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! Congratulations again, Narges!
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].
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.
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 (previous THRiVE MSc student) 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.
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