Michelle La, from the Azad Lab, received ​The Emerging Leader Award (ELA) from the University of Manitoba. This award recognizes the outstanding contributions that students make to the enhancement of the institution and the community. It recognizes students who are committed to contributing to the social, cultural or economic well-being of communities on and/or off campus, while encouraging cross cultural understanding and demonstrating sustained leadership and initiative that is worthy of recognition. We are so proud of Michelle! 

#LACTFACT
The bacteria in breastmilk is different for women who exclusively pump vs women who directly breastfeed, possibly influencing the health of the infant.
Composition and Variation of the Human Milk Microbiota Are Influenced by Maternal and Early-Life Factors
Cell Host and Microbe 25, 324-335 February 13, 2019

Dr. Moossavi and Dr. Azad spoke with The National Post about their new paper in Cell Host & Microbe. The research was also reported by CTV, Insider, and CBC’s Quirks & Quarks (click here for the full interview).

CLICK HERE view the article published in Cell Host & Microbe.

Our latest research was published this week in Cell Host & Microbe. In this study, led by Azad Lab PhD student Shirin Moossavi, we analyzed the milk microbiota of 393 mothers from the CHILD cohort. We found that the milk microbiota is highly variable between different mothers and the composition was associated with maternal factors as well as breastfeeding practices (direct nursing at the breast, or pumping and feeding breast milk from a bottle). We also found that some of the associations were dependent on the infant sex.  Read the full article here.

​The final AllerGen NCE Scientific Conference is being held this week in Toronto, and today’s program was entirely dedicated to the CHILD Study! Dr. Azad spoke about the unique elements of the CHILD Manitoba site (our rural sub-cohort and DXA body composition assessments) and Chaired a session about the CHILD Knowledge Mobilization Stakeholder Advisory Committee. Azad Lab trainees Kozeta Miliku & Deborah Chan gave their 1-minute lightning round presentations. It was an exciting day of presentations about the past and future of CHILD, including a session with four CHILD families from across the country. 

Dr. Kozeta Miliku from the Azad Lab was one of the 27 CRRN trainees who were nominated and invited to present her work during "Lightning Rounds" at the Canadian Respiratory research Network had this annual meeting in Ottawa.
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Of these 27 trainees, four received a "Trainee Lightning Presentation Award”, and Dr. Miliku was one of them! Congratulations. 

Dr. Azad and Dr. Klopp will be talking about "Obesity in Infancy: Formula is One But Not The Only Explanation" on the radio with Born to be Breastfed host Marie Biancuzzo, today January 21st, 2019. 

Dr. Azad and Miliku are featured in MD magazine for their recent review on breastfeeding and asthma. CLICK HERE to see the article. 

Dr Shirin Moosavi from the Azad Lab has been highlighted on the University of Manitoba Graduate Students' Association website. CLICK HERE to view her profile and learn more about the research she is doing. 

Our breastfeeding research was featured by the University of Manitoba as part of a special "Innovation" feature in the Globe & Mail. In her interview entitled "How bacteria and breastmilk could be our best allies against allergy and asthma", Dr. Azad explains that “We want to find specific components of breastmilk that are important, and figure out what they are doing to the gut microbiome—and understand how all of this affects the health and development of children," adding that “Human milk is the ultimate personalized medicine.”