MEDIA ADVISORY / PSA
For Immediate Release
October 1, 2021
Human Milk: Ultimate Superfood & Personalized Medicine
Celebrate National Breastfeeding Week in an online discussion with world-leading experts
Winnipeg MB – As part of National Breastfeeding Week (October 1-7, 2021), Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba is hosting a free, public event that will share key discoveries on world-leading human milk and lactation research happening at the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM).
Join local scientists and healthcare providers from the MILC team (Manitoba Interdisciplinary Lactation Centre) for a lively and informative discussion about breastfeeding; the role of infant nutrition in development, health and wellbeing; health-equity challenges and support for breast-feeding; and more.
Registration is free and open to everyone!
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZckdOqhrjkqGtY8Z_SyuciWKo8hTT5xifZm
Tuesday, October 5, 2021
7:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. Central Time
Featuring (bios attached):
Dr. Meghan Azad, MILC co-Director
Dr. Merilee Brockway, Postdoctoral Fellow, Azad Lab
Carol Dyck, Instructor, Douglas College Perinatal Program
Dr. Katherine Kearns, Family Physician, Winnipeg Breastfeeding Centre
Janet Macaulay, Midwife, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority
Natalie Rodriguez, MILC Operations Director
Sarah Turner, PhD Candidate, Azad Lab
MEDIA ADVISORY / PSA
Biographies
Dr. Meghan Azad, PhD | MILC co-Director
Associate Professor, Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Manitoba Dr. Azad is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Child Health at the University of Manitoba and holds a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Developmental Origins of Chronic Disease. Her research program is focused on the role of infant nutrition and the microbiome in child growth, development, and resilience. Dr. Azad is leading a clinical trial to improve matching procedures for preterm neonates receiving donor human milk and directs the new International Milk Composition (IMiC) Consortium. Dr. Azad also serves as Secretary for The International Society for Research in Human Milk and Lactation (ISRHML) and as an Expert Member on the NIH Breastmilk Ecology: Genesis of Infant Nutrition (BEGIN) Working Group.
Dr. Merilee Brockway, PhD, RN Postdoctoral Fellow, Azad Lab, Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Manitoba Dr. Merilee (Meredith) Brockway is a PhD prepared registered nurse with expertise in maternal-child health, infant feeding, and patient engagement. She completed her PhD in nursing at the University of Calgary, examining maternal breastfeeding self-efficacy and infant feeding outcomes in moderate and late preterm infants. Merilee is currently a post-doctoral researcher in the Azad Lab exploring clinical applications of donor human milk for very preterm infants. Merilee is also a co-lead on the iPOP Study, building on her expertise in patient and community engagement to ensure inclusiveness and meaningful exploration throughout the collaboration.
Carol Dyck, BN, IBCLC Instructor, Douglas College Perinatal Program Carol has an extensive background in public health nursing in Manitoba and BC. This work included coordinating several pilot projects in perinatal and early childhood development. She has recently retired from nursing but continues to work part-time in a variety of roles including; Instructor for the Douglas College Breastfeeding Education programs, Chair of the newly formed Manitoba Lactation & Breastfeeding Support Network and Member of several social justice Indigenous/Settler Relations committees. She has a passion for supporting breastfeeding parents, particularly Indigenous, who are experiencing health equity challenges in accessing the support they need to meet their infant feeding goals.
MEDIA ADVISORY / PSA
Dr. Katherine Kearns, MD, CCFP, IBCLC, FCFP Assistant Professor, Physician, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba Dr. Katherine Kearns is a Family Physician who works in Breastfeeding Medicine at the Winnipeg Breastfeeding Centre she co-founded in 2017, the first of its kind in Manitoba. She also does low risk Obstetrics, seeing moms and babies throughout the prenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum periods. Needing significant support for breastfeeding difficulties with her second child, Katherine understands how important knowledge and support are to family and societal breastfeeding goals. She also regularly presents to residents and physicians in various specialties, and to students currently in medical school. Dr. Kearns was recently awarded a Manitoba Honour 150 Award, recognizing her work to educate and support Manitoba families, physicians, and medical trainees about breastfeeding.
Janet Macaulay
Midwife, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA)
Janet Macaulay is a white, settler, cishet registered midwife in the WRHA. She has been working as a midwife in Manitoba since 2006. Janet has a special interest in social justice and health equity, especially as it applies to birthing folks and their babies. Janet is passionate about supporting all families to feed their babies, whether it is breastfeeding, chest feeding, feeding from the body with supplemental systems or formula from a bottle.
Natalie Rodriguez, MBA, ACC | MILC Operations Director Program Director, Azad Lab, CHRIM, University of Manitoba In an acclaimed career of truly transformative and translational work, Natalie Rodriguez has implemented new systems, technologies, platforms, initiatives and discovery worldwide. A myriad of credentials, awards, appointments and certifications reflect her fierce commitment to research and ongoing learning by defying boundaries and improving the lives of children and their families. Natalie co-directs the new International Milk Composition (IMiC) Consortium, her current projects focus on global health, maternal & infant nutrition, and human milk composition.
Sarah Turner, MSc PhD Candidate, Azad Lab, Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba Sarah is a Vanier Scholar and PhD student in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba. Her research focuses on how breastmilk and breastfeeding contribute to child neurological development and behavioural outcomes. She is interested in how both the nutritional qualities of breastmilk and the psychological benefits of breastfeeding contribute to infant health and wellbeing. Sarah is interested in knowledge translation and how to best communicate breastfeeding research to the public.
MEDIA ADVISORY / PSA
About Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba: Celebrating 50 years of community impact Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba is dedicated to ensuring that every child treated at HSC Winnipeg Children’s Hospital has the best care and experience possible. Since 1971, with incredible donor support, the Foundation has raised more than $150 million to help sick and injured children from Manitoba, Northwestern Ontario, and Nunavut. Funds support important programs that bring comfort to sick children, life-saving equipment, and health research to improve the lives of children everywhere. Let’s make anything possible. Learn about your impact at goodbear.ca.
About Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba
The Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM) is the research division of the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba. At the Institute, more than 270 world-class pediatric medical researchers, technical staff, students, and support staff are involved in nearly $20 million of research and clinical trial activity each year. CHRIM is the first research facility dedicated exclusively to pediatric research in the prairie provinces. www.chrim.ca
For more information:
Katherine (Kat) W. Fox
kfox@goodbear.ca
204-330-2294
goodbear.ca