Geddes Hartmann Human Lactation Research Group Recruitment Page

22/04/2026

ABREAST CONFERENCE 2026 - 25 JUNE
SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT - Dr Zoya Gridneva

Zoya Gridneva, PhD is a Research Fellow at the Geddes Hartmann Human Lactation Research Group. Her research on maternal factors, such as , on breast , milk , and has revealed significant impacts on lactation. Zoya also focuses on the effect human milk component intakes on the breastfed infants’ growth and body composition and how this childhood and adult risk. Zoya's work has been widely recognised, with her international collaborations, awards and publications. Her research on how milk components affect has earned notable recognition, including the 2024 ISRHML Ehrlich Koldovsky Early Career Award and 2024 UWA School of Molecular Sciences Award for Research Impact and Innovation.

Zoya will be presenting at on:

'Maternal experiences with exclusive pumping'

Mothers who exclusively pump breast milk to feed their infants face unique challenges, however, are underrepresented in research. Our studies confirm it is possible for these women to sustain lactation with exclusive pumping and provide sufficient expressed breast milk volumes for the infant, challenging long held dogma that this is not possible. However, the time commitment required for exclusive pumping represents a serious burden. These women face unique challenges and feel under supported indicating targeted evidence-based education for health professionals on exclusively pumping to improve lactation outcomes and maternal wellbeing.

13/04/2026

ABREAST CONFERENCE 25 JUNE 2026
SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT - Lisa Stinson

Dr Lisa Stinson is a at The University of Western Australia. Her research explores the , with a special focus the role of human milk in modulating infant microbial ecology. Dr Stinson leads the microbiome research at the UWA Centre for Human Lactation Research and Translation. Her work has received numerous awards and significant media attention, including selection for the ABC Top 5 Science Media Residency. By advancing our understanding of early microbial exposures, Dr Stinson’s research aims to inform strategies that support optimal infant and lifelong health.

Lisa will be presenting at on:

“Can I still use this?” Assessment of the bacterial safety of left-over expressed milk

Current guidelines recommend discarding any breast milk (EBM) remaining in a after an infant has fed. Despite being widely endorsed by health authorities, these recommendations are merely , with no empirical to support them. Given the known properties of human milk, and the significant volume of milk discarded as a result of these guidelines, robust evidence is urgently needed. This presentation shares preliminary findings from an ongoing study examining bacterial load in EBM immediately before infant feeding, immediately after infant feeding, and after at room temperature for 4 hours and refrigerated storage for 4 days. Early data suggest that while infant feeding does introduce oral bacteria into the bottle, levels do not rise any further during subsequent storage. Thus, the bacteria that an infant is exposed to when offered fed-from EBM that has been stored is no different to the bacteria that they were exposed to at the end of the original feed. These data suggest that current guidelines are too conservative, potentially causing widespread of EBM.

Register Now! Early bird registrations are now open
https://www.abreast.network/abreast-2026

10/04/2026

ABREAST CONFERENCE 25 JUNE 2026
SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT - DR STUART PROSSER

Dr Stuart Prosser graduated with an MBBS from The University of Western Australia in 2000 before pursuing further studies in , ’s , and , and Skin Cancer Management. Stuart has worked as a Procedural General Practitioner, practising both Anaesthetics and Obstetrics, for over 15 years. During his initial General Practice training he completed his Advanced Diploma in Obstetrics and his JCCA in Anaesthetics. Throughout this period, Stuart has continually focused on enhancing the patient experience. Stuart holds a Master in Medicine, specialising in perioperative medicine and healthcare systems and leadership, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Melbourne. He maintains a long-standing commitment to continuous education and serves as an associate professor at Curtin University.
While keenly interested in antenatal care, Stuart also has experience in early pregnancy management (including initial ultrasound) and management of early pregnancy problems (including bleeding and morning sickness). Stuart has a particular interest in the postnatal period and manages all aspects including mental health issues, irritable babies (including sleeping issues), poor weight gain for your baby and any concerns about your recovery after childbirth. Stuart also believes partners are a very important, and often ignored, part of the adjustment to parenthood. As such he has a particular interest in partner’s adjustment to parenthood and partner mental health issues.
Stuart is proud to be the (GPO) at Western Obstetrics, a multi-disciplinary practice that provides team-based maternity care. They offer midwifery-led maternity care, with support from GP Obstetricians, and other health services such as women's health physiotherapists, psychologists, and lactation consultants. Western Obstetrics aims to deliver individualised care that meets the unique needs of each patient. They believe that every patient should receive excellent care during and after the birth of their baby, regardless of whether they deliver privately or publicly.

Stuart will be presenting at on:

Tongue tie clinical assessment

The presence of a lingual frenulum, or ‘tongue tie’ is often considered as a cause of current or future breastfeeding difficulties and issues such as reflux, fussiness and low weight gain. Approaches to the clinical assessment of tongue tie vary widely, and while screening for aspects of tongue structure and function is usually performed, an assessment of infant feeding is also needed. In this presentation Dr Prosser will use to illustrate a comprehensive approach to using a validated , and discussion.

Register Now! Early bird registrations are now open
https://www.abreast.network/abreast-2026

09/04/2026

ABREAST CONFERENCE 25 JUNE 2026
SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT - Kaitlyn Rae

Kaitlyn is a second year at The University of Western Australia investigating breast milk , , and the links between milk and . She holds an Honours degree in Human Reproductive Biology from UWA, where her research focused on neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome. Prior to commencing her PhD, Kaitlyn worked as a scientist in molecular immunology, specialising in DNA extraction and PCR for organ transplantation. Kaitlyn’s current work integrates LC-MS method development with infant feeding and sleep data to examine how nutritional and hormonal patterns in breast milk influence early-life physiology. Her research aims to advance understanding of infant sleep regulation and support evidence-based guidance for breastfeeding families.

Kaitlyn will be presenting at on:

“Does the Volume and Energy of Breast Milk Consumed, Impact the Timing and Duration of Infant Sleep?”

in early life supports , yet the role of in shaping infant sleep remains unclear. Despite limited evidence, feeding strategies such as providing larger, “filling”, or more energy-dense feeds are commonly used to encourage longer sleep. In this session, I will examine whether the and content of feeds, influence the and of infant sleep. Using detailed feed-level intake and milk composition alongside prospective sleep , this work investigates whether short-term variations in intake are associated with infant sleep outcomes. The findings challenge common assumptions around feeding and sleep and have important implications for breastfeeding guidance. They also highlight the need to explore bioactive components of breast milk, such as hormones, in shaping infant sleep-wake patterns.

Register Now! Early bird registrations are now open
https://www.abreast.network/abreast-2026

08/04/2026

ABREAST CONFERENCE 25 JUNE 2026
SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT - Sharon Perrella

Sharon Perrella PhD(Dist) is a Research Fellow at The University of Western Australia, Centre for Human Lactation Research and Translation. Sharon has a clinical background with extensive experience in intensive care and has a special interest in and milk production. She has used ultrasound and intraoral vacuum measurement to examine sucking dynamics and suck-swallow-breathe coordination after preterm birth and in dyads experiencing breastfeeding difficulties. Sharon’s current work focuses on the identification and management of women at risk of low milk production and early cessation of breastfeeding, with a particular interest in lactation outcomes after pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes. She is passionate about sharing the science of human lactation with health professionals and families.

Sharon will be presenting at on:

Shield Fitting
The of breast pump is such a hot topic! We know it’s not a case of ‘one size fits all,’ and finding the right size for an individual woman can be tricky. Our UWA data show changes in ni**le diameter measurements over the course of a breastfeed or pumping session, and between measurements on different days. Also, some women have more elastic tissue with noticeable ni**le expansion and extension during pumping. Join us for a discussion on fitting a ‘moving target’ where flexibility rather than a fixed rule is needed.

Register Now! Early bird registrations are now open
https://www.abreast.network/abreast-2026

01/04/2026

ABREAST CONFERENCE 25 JUNE 2026
SPOTLIGHT - Professor Donna Geddes

Donna is a scientist and is renowned for her novel work with ultrasound imaging that has revolutionized the understanding of the anatomy of the lactating , milk ejection and blood flow, as well as the infant’s technique, suck-swallow-breathe co-ordination, gastric emptying, and body composition of both the term and preterm . Her research has expanded to include the synthesis and removal of milk from the breast, the composition of human milk and its impact on the growth and body composition of breastfed infants, the investigation of human milk metabolites and the search for biomarkers that are indicative of breast dysfunction. As of the Geddes Hartmann Human Lactation Group, Donna runs a research program that endeavours to provide evidence to underpin clinical practice, improve breast milk production and develop diagnostic tests for women experiencing breastfeeding difficulties.

Donna has published over 250 peer-reviewed articles on human lactation. She was awarded The University of Western Australia Senior Research in 2022 and is Director of the UWA Centre for Human Lactation Research and Translation, and Founder of the Network.

We are thrilled to announce Donna will be hosting two demos at ABREAST2026!

1. Live ultrasound demonstration:

Ultrasound imaging gives us a real-time window into the mechanics of breastfeeding that cannot be easily observed any other way. By placing a transducer beneath the infant's chin during a feed, we can visualise tongue movement, ni**le elongation and milk flow. As such ultrasound may allow us to visualise infant oral anomalies that potentially impact milk removal from the breast. These conditions include tongue tie, and cleft lip/palate. This ultrasound demonstration of infant sucking combined with measurement of milk volume removed from the breast will provide a greater understanding of the impact of oral anomalies on breastfeeding.

2. ultrasound fitting demonstration:

Ultrasound imaging transforms our understanding of breast shield fitting providing information for evidence-based practice. By imaging the ni**le within the shield tunnel during pumping, we can observe whether milk ducts with the ni**le are expanding to facilitate milk flow or are constrained inhibiting flow. Seeing this in real time is a reminder that the consequences of a poorly fitted shield are mechanical and immediate, and that optimising fit is one of the levers we have for improving milk removal.

We hope you can join us!

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATIONS ARE AVAILABLE NOW
https://www.abreast.network/abreast-2026

31/03/2026

31/03/2026

ABREAST CONFERENCE 25 JUNE 2026 SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT - Holly Tickner

Holly Tickner is a Speech Pathologist (BSc, MSPA, CPSP) who has worked for the past two decades in the area of paediatric feeding difficulties, which has become her core clinical passion. She has spent the majority of her career in paediatric and neonatal tertiary hospital settings. She established the Speech Pathology role at King Edward Memorial Hospital and was heavily involved in the ward and outpatient feeding services at Perth Children's Hospital (formerly Princess Margaret Hospital) for many years. Holly considers herself fortunate that in addition to this, during her career she has had the opportunity to work across paediatric mental health, community services, the disability sector, early intervention, and academia. Holly regularly teaches on paediatric feeding disorders to health professionals nationally and internationally and supports many allied health professionals across the country with clinical supervision and mentoring. Holly is deeply committed to evidence-based practice and enjoys robust discussion in this space. Through her role as a writer and science communicator with The Informed SLP, Holly translates research into practical, clinically relevant guidance, with a focus on infant feeding, paediatric feeding disorders and early intervention.

Holly will be presenting at on:

SNIP HAPPENS; When feeding challenges persist after tongue-tie release

Parents often hope the release of their baby's tongue-tie will improve a laundry-list of infant feeding challenges. But what about the babies who don't improve? Join Holly Tickner, Speech Pathologist (MSPA, CPSP), for a series of short case studies illustrating the need for thorough and comprehensive feeding evaluation, including functional oral motor assessment of infant feeding.

Early bird registrations are now open https://www.abreast.network/abreast-2026

31/03/2026

ABREAST CONFERENCE 25 JUNE 2026
SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT - Tanya van Aswegen

Tanya is an Accredited Practising with almost two decades of experience in clinical and public health nutrition across Australia, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. She holds a Master of Public Health and is currently a first year PhD candidate at UWA. Tanya’s clinical practice and research focus on breastfed and their navigating and , with a particular interest in improving caregiver experiences, and evidence-informed care in this complex space.

Tanya will be presenting at on:

Over-diagnosed or under-recognised? A look at food allergy in breast-milk fed infants

are reactions to specific food proteins and can affect the , or system. In breastfed infants, this is a particularly complex and uncertain space. Symptoms are often delayed, overlap with normal infant behaviour, and we have limited validated diagnostic tools to guide us. Much of the current management is based on consensus rather than strong evidence, creating potential risks of both over and under-diagnosis. Tanya will explore what is currently known about this area and where the gaps remain. There will also be insights shared from a new qualitative study capturing the lived-experiences of Australian caregivers and healthcare providers, which might help improve care and shape meaningful research priorities in this field.

Join Us! Early bird registrations are now open
https://www.abreast.network/abreast-2026

UWA Research

16/03/2026

Are you a -based breastfeeding mum of a 1 to 6-month-old baby with some pumping experience?
We are currently seeking mums and babies (6 months and under) to participate in our exciting research, which involves 2+ visits to The University of Western Australia
and a light from the café provided.
Please get in touch with us for further information via email:
hhlrg-sms@uwa.edu.au or send us a message and we will get back to you ASAP. Thank you so much! 😊

05/01/2026

Are you a -based breastfeeding mum of a 1 to 6-month-old baby with some pumping experience?
We are currently seeking mums and babies (6 months and under) to participate in our exciting research, which involves 2+ visits to The University of Western Australia
and a light from the café provided.
Please get in touch with us for further information via email:
hhlrg-sms@uwa.edu.au or send a message and we will get back to you ASAP. Thank you so much! 😊

18/12/2025

As we look back on the past year, we wish to express our deepest gratitude to our collaborators and volunteers for your unwavering support. Your trust and collaboration have been invaluable.

Wishing you and your loved ones a joyful holiday season and a Happy New Year.
May 2026 bring you health, happiness, and continued success.