Investigator

Learn more about Dr. Azad here

Meghan Azad

PhD

  • Accepting Students: Yes
  • Research Category: Developmental Origins of Chronic Disease

Contact

Current Positions

Professor, Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Manitoba
Canada Research Chair, Early Nutrition and the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease
Director of Science & Knowledge Mobilization, THRiVE Discovery Lab
Research Scientist, Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba
Co-Director, Manitoba Interdisciplinary Lactation Centre (MILC)
Scientific Director, International Milk Composition (IMiC) Consortium
Deputy Director, CHILD Cohort Study
CIFAR Fellow, Humans & the Microbiome Program

Education

PhD, Biochemistry and Medical Genetics (University of Manitoba)
MSc Epidemiology (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK)
BSc Honours, Biochemistry (University of Winnipeg)
Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship, Pediatrics and Epidemiology (University of Alberta)

Research Focus

My research team (www.thrivediscovery.ca) studies how experiences in utero and during infancy shape lifelong health, focusing on infant growth and resilience in low and middle-income settings, and chronic conditions affecting children worldwide – including asthma, allergies, obesity and diabetes. With dual expertise in molecular biology and epidemiology, I use a trans-disciplinary “Team Science” approach to bridge the traditional pillars of research. My research program incorporates administrative database studies, human birth cohorts, and collaboration with basic scientists to establish animal models and explore biological mechanisms. My current projects focus on maternal nutrition, breastfeeding, human milk composition and the infant microbiome. My ultimate goal is to prevent chronic disease and promote healthy growth through evidence-informed interventions during critical periods of early development.

Research Interests

Human Milk Composition, Lactation Support & Education, Preterm Infant Nutrition, Infant Feeding, Microbiome.