Geddes Hartmann

Awards

Early Career Research Award - ISRHML (2008), Certificate of Distinction for Innovative Research - Raine Medical Research Foundation (2008), Healthy Children Faculty Award, Massachusetts, USA (2007), Best Publication – International Lactation Consultants Association (2005), Best Paper – Australian Sonographers Association National Conference (2001)

Background

Professor Donna Geddes is the Founding Director of the ABREAST Network, Director of The University of Western Australia Centre for Human Lactation Research and Translation and the Geddes Hartmann Human Lactation Research Group. Donna originates from a medical imaging background with an emphasis in ultrasound imaging. She has integrated this modality into many of the group’s studies providing a ‘window’ to different physiological processes during lactation. Her findings have attracted much international attention and she is often requested to speak at both International and National Scientific Meetings. She is a member of the Nutrition Society of Australia and Secretary for the International Society for Research in Human Milk and Lactation.

Research Interests

Donna has a broad range of research interests in the physiology of lactation extending from basic to applied research. In particular she utilizes her ultrasound imaging skills to assess the lactating breast (anatomy, milk ejection and blood flow) as well as the infant (suck-swallow-breathe, gastric emptying and body composition). Her current interests include understanding the role of breastmilk in appetite control and the development of breastfeeding in the preterm infant.

Awards

Staff Development Grant – The University of Western Australia

Background

Jacki is the Business Support Specialist for The University of Western Australia Centre for Human Lactation Research and Translation, and Project Officer for the Geddes Hartmann Human Lactation Research Group.  Jacki holds a Diploma of Project Management (Australian Institute of Management, WA), with a career spanning 25 years in various industries, 12 of those years with The University of Western Australia.  Her role includes overseeing financial operations, implementing efficient processes, data management, and fostering collaborative teams to achieve corporate objectives.

Interests

Project and data management.

Background

A Research Fellow at the Hartmann Human Lactation Research Group (HHLRG). Dr Lai graduated from his Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in 1996 at UWA, where he went on to complete his Post Graduate Diploma (1997), Masters (2002) and PhD (2007) at UWA. During his postgraduate years, he was involved in research projects that determined the relationship between the immune proteins in human milk and the atopic outcome of breastfeed infants; and the impact of expression regime on the milk production and composition of preterm milk during the first two months of lactation. He is leading the biochemical research at the HHLRG, with the aim to understand the changes in human milk components in relation to breast physiology as well as the growth and development of infant.

Research Interests

Dr Lai’s current research focuses on redefine and develop analytical methodologies that utilises other bioactive components of human milk to address many other issues relate to the feeding of human milk.

Awards

DOHaD ANZ New Investigator Award (2018), DOHaD ANZ Nestle Nestle Nutrition Institute Travel Award (2018), PSANZ “Best of the Best” Abstract Award (2018), UWA PSA Travel Award (2018), UWA Travel Grant (2018), ANZPRA Award (finalist, 2017), WCMN Best Flash Talk (2017), ERBSWA Best Talk Prize (2017), ASMR (WA) Best Lay Summary (2017), UWA Travel Grant (2013).

Background

Lisa was awarded her masters of medical science in 2013 after completing a two year research project exploring the effects anti-inflammatory drugs in human and ovine placentas.  Her research focus subsequently shifted towards the perinatal microbiome, and Lisa completed her PhD in January 2019, with a thesis titled “The not-so-sterile womb: New data to challenge an old dogma”. Throughout her PhD Lisa has published extensively, engaged in science communication and public outreach, and presented her work at numerous conferences. Lisa’s research has received numerous awards and significant media attention.  Lisa has been working with the group since September 2018, with an interest in the human milk microbiome.

Research Interests

• The perinatal / early life microbiome
• Developmental origins of health and disease
• Preterm birth
• Placental function and structure

Awards

Helen Bailey Fellowship 1997

Background

Sharon is a Research Fellow at the Geddes Hartmann Human Lactation Research Group, UWA. Sharon has a clinical background with extensive experience in neonatal intensive care nursing and has a special interest in preterm breastfeeding 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.

Research Interests

Sharon completed a PhD titled “The Effect Of Different Types Of Nutrition On The Gastrointestinal Response Of The Preterm Infant” in 2015 with distinction.
Sharon’s research interests include the establishment and maintenance of lactation and breastfeeding following preterm birth, low milk supply, and the effect of oral anomalies on breastfeeding outcomes.

Awards

UWA Australian Postgraduate Award (2012), Diploma summa cum laude, Bashkirskij State University (1991), Medela Top Up Scholarship (2014), PSANZ Student Symposium Award (2016), DOHaD ANZ The Nestle Nutrition Institute Prize “For translational research initiatives” (2016), inFLAME Travel Award (2018), DOHaD World Congress Travel Award (2019), ISRHML & Family Larsson-Rosenquist Foundation Travel Fund Award (2020), The Nestle Nutrition Institute Early Researcher Award (2021).

Background

Zoya is a Research Fellow at the Geddes Hartmann Human Lactation Research Group.  She completed her PhD in the group and graduated in December 2017.  Zoya has a biochemical background with emphasis in proteomics and has previously worked in the biomedical field and in different research settings in ophthalmology. She combines established body composition measurement techniques that are used mainly in adults (ultrasound and bioelectrical impedance spectroscopy) to improve the understanding of the effect of human milk components, concentrations and intakes, on the breastfed infant’s body composition, growth and appetite control in order to reduce both childhood and adult obesity rates. Her other interests are the effects of maternal factors on breast anatomy and human milk composition, production and removal.

Research Interests

• Human milk composition
• Infant appetite control
• Body composition of the breastfed infants
• Effect of maternal factors on milk composition
• Effect of maternal factors on breast anatomy and milk production and removal

Background

In 2020 Ash completed her first year of Health Science at Curtin University.
Ash decided to follow her passion in health science, which lead her to work within the group as a research assistant.

Interests

Ash enjoys working with both people and animals, and playing netball.

Awards

Member of Golden Key International Honour Society

Background

In 2013, I graduated with bachelor’s degree with first honor from Umm Alqura University, Saudi Arabia.  Following one year of internship at King Khalid National Guard Hospital, I worked as a teaching assistant for 1 year at King Saud Bin Abdul-Aziz University for Health Sciences, and for 2 years at Umm Alqura University.  In 2018, I graduated with Master of Infectious Diseases (MID) with distinction from The University of Western Australia.  Recently, in June 2019 I started my PhD candidature.

Research Interests

My MID research project was on the effect of Western Australian honeys on multispecies biofilm.  Currently, I have joined Assoc/Prof Donna Geddes and Dr. Matthew Payne to work on the influence of short-term dietary intervention on human milk microbiome and neonatal gut microbiome, and the effect of Human milk oligosaccharides on neonatal gut microbiome.  Identifying the influence of maternal diet on the characteristics of infant gut microbiome and breast milk composition and its impact on infant health and development is an opportunity to enhance dietary recommendations for pregnant and lactating women to support infant health.

Awards

Scholarship for International Research Fees (SIRF), Medela Scholarship (Ad Hoc Postgraduate Scholarship)

Background

In 2016, Jie interned at the Biotechnology Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agriculture Science, working on the transgenic insect-resistant maize, from there she developed an interest in biomolecular science.  Jie received the Bachelor of Biotechnological Science in Beijing, China, in 2017.

In 2020, Jie graduated from the University of Western Australia with a master’s degree of Biomedical Science, specialised in Biochemistry and Molecular Science. She completed her research project on human milk microbiome in the fat fraction with the Human Lactation Research Group and co-authored an article titled “Centrifugation does not remove bacteria from the fat fraction of human milk”. Jie then commenced her PhD candidature within the group in September 2020.

Research Interests

Jie is currently focusing on the microbiota, human milk oligosaccharide, and short chain fatty acids in human milk and their association with infant atopic and growth outcomes.

Awards

Bachelor’s degree with second class honours

Background

Majed started his bachelor in 2008 and graduated from Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Technology in 2013 at Jazan Univerity, Saudi Arabia. In 2013, he visited the Netherlands and attended a summer research training program at KIT Royal tropical institute, Amsterdam, where he took his first step into the research field as a part of the internship year. In 2014, Jazan University offered him a full scholarship to continue his postgrad study overseas. In 2017, he moved to Perth, where he graduated from his Masters of Biomedical Science in Biochemistry and Molecular biology in 2019 at UWA. During the masters, he developed a passion for lactation science under the supervision of Dr. Donna Geddes and Dr. Ching tat Lai. In Nov 2019, he started his PhD candidature at the Human Lactation Research Group.

Research Interests

Majed’s research focus is human milk biochemistry. His masters research was on the correlation between human milk appetite hormones and the human milk microbiome. He is currently researching the effect of gestational diabetes on human milk production and composition as the current understanding the impact of GDM on hormones in milk is limited and conflicting. Majed is also aiming to improve the hormones biochemical analysis techniques and procedures. Majed’s research will provide evidence about the effects GDM on human milk production and composition, and the subsequent impact on infant growth, body composition, and development.

Awards

Scholarship from Saudi Arabia to pursue postgraduate studies (MSc and PhD)

Background

Roaa graduated from Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Technology at Jazan University, Saudi Arabia. In 2016, Roaa worked as laboratory specialist at ministry of health, Jazan, Saudi Arabia. In 2021, she graduated from the master of infectious diseases at UWA. In April 2022, she started her PhD candidature at the Human Lactation Research Group.

Research Interests

Roaa’s MID research project focused on unveiling virulence-related molecules from human pathogenic fungi using genomics and synthetic biology. With an interest in microbiome, Roaa started her PhD research with Prof Donna Geddes, Dr Lisa Stinson and Dr Ching Tat Lai working on temporal development of the infant oral microbiome.

By describing the temporal development of the oral microbiome during the first year of life and determining the impact of human milk on oral microbiome development will enhance our understanding of the human microbiome in health and disease and will provide the origin of the infant’s oral microbiome and the impact of breast milk on the infant’s health.

Awards

The Australian Government Research Training Program Fees Offset Scholarship, University Postgraduate Award

Background

Ruomei received the Bachelor of Biological Sciences from Beijing Forestry University in 2016.  In 2018, she graduated from the University of Western Australia with a Master’s degree in Infectious Diseases.  After graduation, Ruomei spent one year doing research at the Telethon Kids Institute with a focus on diseases caused by Respiratory Syncytial Virus and Streptococcus pyogenes. Ruomei returned to China and volunteered her time at the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Fuzhou, Fujian, China) in February 2020, followed by the commencement of employment at the Bureau of Public Health (Taijiang District, Fuzhou, Fujian, China) in May 2020.  In 2022, Ruomei returned to Perth and commenced her PhD candidature with the Human Lactation Research Group.

Research Interests

Ruomei is currently focusing on the development of human milk microbiome across the first 12 months of lactation, and relationships with the development of the infant gut microbiome and body composition.