 photo credit: Deputy Premier of Manitoba, Uzoma Chioma Asagwara in Instagram video Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, Seniors and Long Term Care in Manitoba, Uzoma Chioma Asagwara, has confirmed that lactation consultants will continue to receive government funding to support their work across the province. The announcement came in response to dozens of letters from health care professionals and researchers, including a MILC-led letter, during National Breastfeeding Week. Minister Asagwara addressed the issue on Instagram, reaffirming the government’s commitment to supporting breastfeeding families. Lactation consultants play a vital role in guiding and supporting many families throughout their breastfeeding journeys.
 During Canada's National Breastfeeding Week, THRiVE director Dr. Meghan Azad joined Marjorie Dowhos on CBC Radio Noon Manitoba to discuss the many benefits of breastfeeding for both mothers and babies. Dr. Azad shared insights from her research showing how breastmilk supports infant health and development in both the short and long term — including protection against asthma, allergies, and obesity. She also highlighted the health benefits for mothers, such as reduced risk of type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers. The conversation addressed common breastfeeding challenges, the importance of lactation consultant support, the broader economic and environmental impacts of breastfeeding, and the importance of normalizing breastfeeding in modern society.
 A new paper published in Frontiers in Nutrition explores how components of human milk — specifically fatty acids and human milk oligosaccharides — relate to infants’ cognitive, language, and motor outcomes at ages 1 and 2 years. Led by former THRiVE Lab PhD student Dr. Sarah Turner, along with THRiVE Lab Director Dr. Meghan Azad, and collaborators across Canada and the US, the team examined breastmilk samples from 240 mother–infant pairs in the CHILD cohort from the Edmonton site.
 During National Breastfeeding Week THRiVE Lab Director Dr. Meghan Azad joined Maralee Caruso on CTV Winnipeg to discuss the many benefits of breastfeeding for both mothers and babies. Dr. Azad shared insights from her research on how breastmilk supports infant development, the economic advantages of breastfeeding, and the critical role of lactation consultants in Winnipeg hospitals. She also emphasized the importance of initiating breastfeeding early and the positive impacts even a small amount of breastmilk can have.
 In recognition of National Breastfeeding Week, THRiVE Lab member and MILC Club Coordinator Dr. Karinne Cardoso Muniz led a team of volunteers from both groups in sharing their expertise with the Winnipeg community. The outreach events took place at Harvey Smith Library on Wednesday, October 1, and Saint Vital Library on Thursday, October 2. At each location, the teams hosted information tables where they engaged with community members about the benefits of breastfeeding and local programs that support breastfeeding families. Their efforts helped raise awareness and promote resources available to parents and caregivers across Winnipeg.
 Dr. Meghan Azad, Director of THRiVE, recently gave a virtual presentation at the Microbiome Virtual International Forum (MVIF), hosted in collaboration with Microbiota Vault, as part of the session on “Preservation of Microbial Diversity.” Her talk, “Global Perspectives on Human Milk and Infant Microbiomes,” highlighted breastfeeding as a key driver of infant microbiome development. Dr. Azad discussed how human milk composition—including its microbiome—varies across time and geography, and how these variations play a fundamental role in shaping infant microbiome development and influencing health outcomes worldwide.
 (left) Anne Manson, (right) Karinne Muniz THRiVE Discovery Lab proudly congratulates trainees Dr. Anne Manson and Dr. Karinne Muniz on receiving competitive 2025 Research Manitoba awards. Anne was awarded a Postdoctoral Fellowship, supporting her continued training toward a career as an independent researcher in the area of human milk oxylipins. Karinne received a Master’s Studentship Award, recognizing her contributions to impactful research on the immunomodulatory components of human colostrum. We are grateful to Research Manitoba and CHRIM (Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba) for their commitment to supporting the development of highly qualified talent in our province. These awards were co-funded by both organizations.
 Credit: https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio THRiVE director, Dr. Meghan Azad, spoke with Faith Fundal of CBC Radio's Up To Speed about some of the barriers parents who breastfeed face and how Canada compares to other countries around the world when it comes to the stigma surrounding public breastfeeding. The interview took place during World Breastfeeding Week, August 1-7, 2025. To listen to the entire conversation, please follow the link to CBC Manitoba.
 Left to right: Dr. Meghan Azad, Bridget McGann, Dr. Ryan Pace, Dr. Miena Hall. On August 1st, THRiVE Lab members and colleagues hosted the second annual Ask Me Anything (AMA) session on the r/AskScience forum on Reddit ahead of World Breastfeeding Week. This is an opportunity to take a step back from our day-to-day work and get a snapshot of what the general public is wondering about lactation science. The event received about 81,000 views, 98 shares, and 32 questions. As with last year, the panelists were impressed with Redditors’ thoughtfulness, and their questions reflected a strong public appetite for lactation science. Participants asked about a wide range of topics including the adaptive and mechanistic biology of milk production and composition; breastfeeding and infant sleep; gaps in research, medical training, and support; factors influencing supply; and safety questions about toxins, microplastics, and medications. This event is part of our broader knowledge translation initiatives, and helps us address misinformation, increase interest in careers in lactation science, and foster public support for both research funding and breastfeeding-supportive public policy.
 Photo credit: Public Health On Call THRiVE Director Dr. Meghan Azad was featured on the Public Health On Call podcast hosted by Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA. In the episode Dr. Azad explains the chemical compounds that make human breast milk unique from other mammals, the opportunities to build more community support for breastfeeding, and the benefits of lactation for mothers. You can listen here: Public Health On Call, Bluesky
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