Meghan Azad

Meghan Azad is a Research Fellow at the University of Manitoba and Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM), with a focus on infant nutrition, human milk composition, and microbiome research in child growth and resilience. She holds a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in the Developmental Origins of Chronic Disease and co-directs the Manitoba Interdisciplinary Lactation Centre (MILC).

• PhD in Biochemistry and Medical Genetics from the University of Manitoba
• MSc in Epidemiology from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Her research explores how maternal nutrition, infant feeding practices, and human milk composition influence lifelong health outcomes. Key projects include the CHILD Cohort Study, the International Milk Composition Consortium (IMiC), and initiatives to improve lactation support through education programs. Her work integrates molecular biology, epidemiology, and microbiome analysis.

The CHILD Cohort Study (3,500 children) investigates how early-life factors affect asthma, allergies, and obesity. The IMiC Consortium, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, profiles human milk composition in low- and middle-income settings. Other projects focus on milk chronobiology, preterm infant nutrition, and societal perceptions of breastfeeding.

Scientific awards include:

• Terry G. Falconer Memorial Rh Institute Foundation Emerging Research Award
• ISRHML Ehrlich-Koldovsky Award
• University of London 150th Anniversary Prize
• CBC Manitoba Future 40 Award
• CIHR Lindau Prize

Azad collaborates with institutions such as the Winnipeg Breastfeeding Centre, Youville Community Health Centre, and the Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development (CHILD) Study Investigators. Her lab, THRiVE Discovery Lab, emphasizes transdisciplinary research and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) principles.