Meghan Azad, PhD

Global Leader in Maternal-Child Health, Microbiome Research and Human Milk Science ​
A renowned pediatric researcher with a global reputation for excellence, Dr. Azad has published over 180 peer-reviewed papers and secured over $19M in research funds. Her THRiVE Discovery Lab studies how early experiences shape lifelong health, with a focus on early nutrition and the microbiome. 

Specialist in Team Science & Multidisciplinary Research Consortia
Known for her collaborative approach to science and leadership, Dr. Azad directs a large interdisciplinary research program with collaborations around the world and funding from diverse national and international organizations. 

Expert in Knowledge Mobilization 
Skilled at transforming complex research findings into accessible insights and impactful applications, Dr. Azad is a highly regarded speaker in academic, healthcare, government and public settings.  

Meghan Azad
MSc, ​PhD

Professor & Research Scientist

PhD, Biochemistry
and Medical Genetics
University of Manitoba


MSc, Epidemiology
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
​

Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship, Pediatrics
University of Alberta​

​​Dr. Meghan Azad is a scientist, advisor, and global expert in human milk, infant nutrition, and the early life microbiome. She is a Professor of Pediatrics and Child Health at the University of Manitoba, with cross appointments to Immunology, Human Nutritional Sciences, and Community Health Sciences. She holds the Canada Research Chair in Early Life Nutrition and the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, and directs the THRiVE Discovery Lab, where her team studies the biological and environmental factors that shape lifelong health.

Globally-Recognized Expertise in Infant Nutrition
Dr. Azad is internationally recognized for her leadership in human milk science and the infant microbiome. She has authored more than 180 peer-reviewed academic research papers, cited more than 19,000 times, and regularly advises governments, international organizations, and private sector partners. Her advisory work includes contributions to Health Canada, the United States National Institutes of Health, the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, and the United Nations. She also serves on the International Society for Research in Human Milk and Lactation Executive Council and the United States and Canada Human Milk Composition Initiative.​

​International Research Leadership
Dr. Azad is the co-founder and director the Manitoba Interdisciplinary Lactation Centre (MILC). She is the former Deputy Director and current Knowledge Mobilization Chair of the CHILD Cohort Study, a national pregnancy cohort following 3500 children to understand how early life experiences shape lifelong health. Her research portfolio includes two randomized clinical trials in premature infants and extensive international collaborations. She was recruited by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop and lead the $6.5M International Milk Composition (IMiC) Consortium.

​Award-Winning Research and Science Communication
Dr. Azad is an elected member of the Royal Society of Canada College of New Scholars. Her work has been recognized with several awards, including the ISRHML Erlich-Koldovsky Early Career Investigator Award (2018), the International Human Milk Genomics Mid-Career Investigator Award (2020), WXN Canada Top 100 Most Powerful Women (2020), Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 (2021), and the Gairdner Momentum Award (2024). Her research and commentary have been featured in the New York Times, Discover Magazine and The Economist, and she has appeared on CBC's Quirks & Quarks, CTV's The Social, and Australia's Catalyst. She is featured in the documentaries Let Them Eat Dirt and Breast Milk Scientific. Known for her engaging approach to science communication, Dr. Azad's research videos have received national recognition, and her online #Tweetorial summaries routinely reach more than 20,000 viewers. She and the Manitoba Interdisciplinary Lactation Centre (MILC) were nominated for the Governor General’s Innovation Award in 2025 for advancing public health innovation and knowledge mobilization in maternal and infant health.