Meghan Azad

Dr. Meghan Azad is a Professor of Pediatrics and Child Health at the University of Manitoba's Max Rady College of Medicine, holding a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Early Nutrition and the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease. She leads the THRiVE Discovery Lab and co-directs the Manitoba Interdisciplinary Lactation Centre (MILC). Her research focuses on how early-life nutrition, particularly breastfeeding and human milk composition, influences infant microbiome development and lifelong health outcomes such as asthma, allergies, obesity, and diabetes. Key projects include the International Milk Composition (IMiC) Consortium, the CHILD Cohort Study, and optimizing donor human milk for preterm infants. She has received prestigious awards including the 2024 Gairdner Momentum Award and the 2023 Steacie Prize. Dr. Azad collaborates internationally, engaging with organizations like UNICEF and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to promote evidence-based breastfeeding policies.

Résumé Highlights:

• Education: PhD in Biochemistry and Medical Genetics (University of Manitoba), MSc in Epidemiology (London School of Hygiene)
• Affiliations: Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, CIFAR Humans & Microbiome Program
• Key Projects: IMiC Consortium (global milk composition study), OptiNuM Study (preterm nutrition), Thrive Discovery Lab (transdisciplinary research)
• Funding: CIHR, NIH, Canada Foundation for Innovation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Research Themes: Maternal nutrition, infant microbiome resilience, breastfeeding advocacy, and global health equity. Her work emphasizes translating scientific findings into public health strategies to support vulnerable populations.