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Awards Program

Most Valuable Presentation

The Most Valuable Presentation Award is presented to a speaker at each Annual Symposium whose presentation was rated by symposium attendees as most cutting-edge, innovative, and impactful. In addition, recipients are invited to present an update of their work during the following Annual Symposium with travel expenses paid.

Student Travel

The Student Travel Award is presented to students whose submitted abstracts for the Annual Symposium are ranked highest by the IMGC Scientific Advisory Committee. Additionally, recipients are invited to present at the Annual Symposium with travel expenses paid. 

Outstanding Early-Career Investigator

The Outstanding Early-Career Investigator Award is presented in recognition of significant discoveries and distinguished careers in lactation and milk science. The nominee is between 10 years post-graduate degree and has a sustained record of substantial research, mentoring, and training. Any member of the IMGC Scientific Advisory Committee may submit a nomination which is reviewed by the Awards Committee. Subsequently, the recipient is invited to present their work at the Annual Symposium with travel expenses paid. 

Outstanding Mid-Career Investigator

The Outstanding Mid-Career Investigator Award is presented in recognition of significant discoveries and distinguished careers in lactation and milk science. The nominee is between 10 and 20 years post-graduate degree and has a sustained record of substantial research, mentoring, and training. Any member of the IMGC Scientific Advisory Committee may submit a nomination which is reviewed by the Awards Committee. Subsequently, the recipient is invited to present their work at the Annual Symposium with travel expenses paid. 

Outstanding Legacy-Career Investigator

The Outstanding Legacy-Career Investigator Award is presented in recognition of significant discoveries that have led to substantial advancements in the field. The nominee is more than 20 years post-graduate degree and has a sustained record of substantial research, mentoring, and training. Any member of the IMGC Scientific Advisory Committee may submit a nomination which is reviewed by the Awards Committee. Subsequently, the recipient is invited to present their work at the Annual Symposium with travel expenses paid. 

Most Valuable Presentation Award Recipients

Katie Hinde, Arizona State University, USA
Breastfeeding Support as a Human Universal

Christopher Stewart, Newcastle University, United Kingdom
Breast Milk and Gut Microbiome in Term and Preterm Infants

Benoit Lamarche, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
How Has Saturated Fat Become So Controversial?

Per T. Sangild, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Animal Models for Early Infant Nutrition

Katie Hinde, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Boy Milk & Girl Milk: Evolutionary Insights

Mark Thomas, University College London, UK
The co-evolution of lactase persistence and dairying

Student Travel Award Recipients

Martin Thesberg, Aarhus University, Denmark
A Proteomic Approach to Identify Disulfide-bridges in Human Milk Proteins

Chen Raz, Hebrew University of Jerusalem,  Israel
The Role Played by Milk Fat in Bacillus Subtilis Growth and Metabolome

Kevin Linehan, University College Cork, Ireland
Characterization of the Bovine Colostrum Virome and Two Novel Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteriophages

Dhrati Patangia, APC Microbiome Ireland, Ireland
Microbiota and Resistome Analysis of Colostrum and Milk from Dairy Cows Treated with Antibiotic-Based Dry Cow Therapies

Alberta Giovanazzi, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
CD4+ T Cell Modulatory Properties and miRNA Cargo of Human Milk-Derived Extracellular Vesicles are Influenced by Allergic Sensitization of the Mother

Eva Kontopodi, Wageningen University & Research, The Netherlands
Breastmilk; a Source of SARS-CoV-2 Specific sIgA Antibodies, Highly Stable after Pasteurization

Julie Miltenburg, Wageningen University & Research, The Netherlands
Effect of Heating on Milk Protein Digestion and Clot Formation during in vitroInfant Gastric Digestion

Bulei Sheng, Aarhus University, Denmark
Effect of Different κ-Casein Isoforms on the in vitro Digestibility and Peptidomics of Released Peptides

Rahul Sanwlani, La Trobe university, Australia
Dietary Cross-Species Communication: Context-Dependent Role of Bovine Milk-Derived Extracellular Vesicles in Cancer Progression

Alberta Giovanazzi, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
CD4+ T Cell Modulatory Properties and miRNA Cargo of Human Milk-Derived Extracellular Vesicles are Influenced by Allergic Sensitization of the Mother

Eva Kontopodi, Wageningen University & Research, The Netherlands
Breastmilk; a Source of SARS-CoV-2 Specific sIgA Antibodies, Highly Stable after Pasteurization

Julie Miltenburg, Wageningen University & Research, The Netherlands
Effect of Heating on Milk Protein Digestion and Clot Formation during in vitroInfant Gastric Digestion

Bulei Sheng, Aarhus University, Denmark
Effect of Different κ-Casein Isoforms on the in vitro Digestibility and Peptidomics of Released Peptides

Rahul Sanwlani, La Trobe university, Australia
Dietary Cross-Species Communication: Context-Dependent Role of Bovine Milk-Derived Extracellular Vesicles in Cancer Progression

Ling Xiong, Wageningen University and Research, The Netherlands
Loss of Allergy-Protective Capacity of Raw Cow’s Milk After Heat Treatment Coincides with Loss of Immune Active Whey Proteins

Robert Beverly, Oregon State University, USA
Milk Peptides in the Intestinal Tract of Breast Milk Fed Infants Have Antimicrobial and Bifidogenic Activity

Sierra Durham, University of California Davis, USA
Patterns in Milk Oligosaccharides Across Species: Building a Platform to Visualize and Compare Free Oligosaccharide Profiles in the Milk of Humans and Other Mammals

Syaza Binte Abu Bakar, Monash University, Australia
Student Award Recipient: Differences in the Self-Assembly of Lipids in Human Colostrum and an Emulsified Colostrum Lipid Mixture During Digestion

Pieter Dekker, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
Maternal allergy and the presence of nonhuman proteinaceous material in human milk

Vanessa Dunne-Castagna, University of California Davis, USA
Infant Commensal Complexed with Milk Secretory Immunoglobulin A Prevents Enteric Infection

Yarden Golan, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
High proportion of transient neonatal zinc deficiency (TNZD) causing alleles in the general population

Kajsa Nilsson, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
Genetic variants and posttranslational modifications of milk proteins in relation to non-coagulating milk

Anne Vuholm Sunds, University of Aarhus, Tjele, Denmark
Variability of oligosaccharides in milk from native Nordic cattle breeds

Lauren Brink, University of California Davis, USA
Commercial Bovine Milk Fat Globule Membrane Fractions-Variations Among Sources

Apichaya Bunyatratchata, University of California Davis, USA
Evaluate the Effect of Industrial Thermal Treatments on the Enzymatic Release of N-Glycans from Milk Glycoprotein

Alok Kumar, CSIR-Centre For Cellular and Molecular Biology, India
Structural and Functional Insights into EchAMP, a Unique Monotreme Antimicrobial Protein Expressed During Lactation

Bartijn Pieters, Radoud University Medical Center, The Netherlands
The Therapeutic Potential of Bovine Milk-Derived Extracellular Vesicles for Treatment of Osteoarthrits Patients

Andrea Zukowski, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Sequencing the Bovine Milk Exosome miRNome – Can the Transcriptome Hint at Efficient Recovery from Mastitis?

Alma Ryskaliyeva, INRA, UMR GABI, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, France
Alternative Splicing, a Fortuitous or Genetically Programmed Event to Expand Molecular Diversity of Milk Proteins: Camel CSN1S2, a Relevant Model to Try to Provide Some Response Elements

Randall Robinson, University of California Davis, Davis, USA
Comparative Analysis of Bioactive Oligosaccharide Production in Dairy Cows Using Novel Analytical Techniques

Léa Guinot, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
Identification of Parameters Involved in Disintegration of Commercial Cheese Matrix and Lipid Digestion by Using an In Vitro Static Digestion Model

Junai Gan, University of California Davis, Davis, USA
Milk as a Protein-Protease Delivery System: Collaborative Approaches Inspire Inquiry into the Dynamics and Complexities of Human Milk

Valerie Weinborn, University of California Davis, Davis, USA
Enzymatic Modification of Bovine Milk Oligosaccharides and Their Functional Properties

Richard Heinz, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, USA
Constitutive Expression of microRNA-150 in Mammary Epithelium Suppresses Secretory Activation and Impairs de novo Lipogenesis

Hannah S. Lyman, University of California Davis, Davis, USA
RNA-Seq of Mammary Epithelial Organoids from Virgin and Lactating Glands of 15 Holstein-Friesian Cows

Apichaya Bunyatratchata, University of California Davis, Davis, USA
Sialic Acid Release by Bacteroides Thetaiotaomicron from Milk Oligosaccharides May Facilitate the Growth of Potentially Pathogenic Bacteria

Janet Williams, University of Idaho, USA
Use of the Milk Microbiome to Predict Infant Fecal Bacterial Community Composition

Zhengyao Xue, University of California Davis, Davis USA
Accurate Monitoring of Living and Total Bacterial Populations in Milks for Improved Microbial Management

Randall C. Robinson, University of California Davis, Davis, USA
A Novel Method for High-Throughput Analysis of Bovine Milk Oligosaccharides & Discovering Natural Bioactive Peptides in Cheese with Mass Spectrometry

Joshua Cohen, University of California Davis, Davis, USA
Pilot scale isolation of bioactive glycans from dairy co-products: capturing the whey glycome

Mary Abdelsayed, The University of Sydney, Camden, Australia
Collection of Data for the Genetic Improvement of Health Traits in Australian Dairy Cattle

Melanie Rae Simpson, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
Human Breast Milk miRNA, Maternal Probiotic Supplementation and Atopic Dermatitis in Offspring

Jessica Elswood, Texas A&M University, USA
A Role for Sim2s in Elongation Regulation of Milk Protein Gene Transcription in the Mammary Gland

Véronique Demers-Mathieu, Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods (INAF) and Laval University, Quebec City, Canada
Survival of New Probiotic Strains with Anti-Inflammatory & Anti-Obesity Effects Used in Non-Fat Yogurt and Low-Fat Cheddar Cheese Making

Megan Sanctuary, University of California Davis, Davis, USA
Supplementation with Bifidobacterium Infantis in Combination with Bioactive Milk Components to Alter Microbial Composition in Children with Autism

Duc Ninh Nguyen, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
TGF-Β2 Protects Intestinal Epithelial Cells by Regulation of Proteins Associated with Stress and Endotoxin Responses

Maria Lisson, Justus-Liebig University, Gießen, Germany
Epitope Mapping of αS1-Casein by Microarray Immunoassay Reveals Differences in Ige Binding within Dairy Breeds and Between Water Buffaloes, Sheep, Goats

Sugeetha Ramakrishnan, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Victoria, Australia
The Relationship Between Milk Proteins and Extracellular Matrix in Regulating Murine Mammary Gland Involution

Lenha Mobuchon, INRA, Saint Genès Champanelle, France
Effect of A 48h Food Deprivation on the Lactating Goat Mammary MiRNome Obtained by Deep Sequencing

Kristen Beck, University of California Davis, Davis, USA
Comparative Proteomics of Human And Macaque Milks: Humans Get a Helping Hand During Post-Natal Development

Mina Popovic, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
Consumption of Fucosyllactose by Infant Borne Bifidobacteria

Zachery Lewis, University of California Davis, Davis, USA
Maternal FUT2 Polymorphisms Influence the Gut Microbial Communities of Breastfed Infants

Bokyung Lee, University of California Davis, Davis, USA
Milk Promotes Probiotic Efficacy in the Intestine

Daylan Tzompa, Sosa, Wageningen University, The Netherlands
Regiospecific Analysis of Bovine Milk Fat Triacylglycerols: Variability Within a Dairy Cattle Population

Zuzana Krupova, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Paris, France
A Novel LC-MS Protein Profiling Method to Characterize and Quantify Individual Milk Proteins and Multiple Isoforms

Vengama Naidu Modepalli, Deakin University, Australia
Developmental Role of Milk in Lung Maturation of Marsupial Pouch Young (Tammar Wallaby)

Sanjana Kuruppath, Deakin University, Australia
Tammar Wallaby: A Marsupial Model to Understand the Role of Milk in Regulating Stomach Development

David Dallas, University of California Davis, Davis, USA
Digestomics of human milk proteins in term and premature infants: towards improved infant feeding

Stephen Wanyonyi, Deakin University, Australia
The extracellular matrix modulates asynchronous concurrent lactation in tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii)

Kristen Beck, University of California Davis, Davis, USA
Transcriptional modulation by abundant milk protein genes in the bovine mammary gland

Ulrik Sundekilde, Aarhus University, Denmark
Milk metabolite composition and its relation to nutritional and technological quality – A NMR metabolomic approach

Aniek Bouwman, Wageningen University, The Netherlands
Genomic regions associated with both summer and winter bovine milk fatty acids

Swathi Bisana, Deakin University, Australia
Identification and functional characterization of a novel monotreme-specific antibacterial protein expressed during lactation

Emmanuelle Koch, UVSQ, 
Long-term effects of nutrition on mammary gland development and milk composition leading to offspring predisposition to obesity

Grace Berryhill, University of California Davis, Davis, USA
Effects of in utero exposure to dietary conjugated linoleic acid on mammary gland development in Balb/cJ mice

Wai Yuen Cheah, Macquarie University, 
Sialic acid is involved in the differential binding of streptococcal species to milk and salivary glycoproteins

Christy Vander Jagt, Melbourne University, Australia
Combining gene expression data with SNP association studies to identify genes effecting bovine milk production traits

Laurine Buscara, Deakin University, Australia
Matrigel signals abnormal development of Cape fur seal primary mammary cells, possibly through the activation of the TGFß pathway

Palaniappan Ramanathan, USDA, ARS
Characterization of MicroRNA Expression in Secretory Activation

Pauline Brenaut, INRA, Saint Genès Champanelle, France
The Milk Fat Globule to Unravel Mammary Epithelial Cell Defense Elicited in Response to Intramammary Infection

Vinuthan Melakote Kodappa, University of Sydney, Australia
Investigation of Milk Protein Bioactivity

Saumya Wickramasinghe, University of California Davis, Davis, USA
Analysis of the milk transcriptome of transition and late lactation Holstein cows by Next Generation Sequencing Technology

Daniel Garrido, University of California Davis, Davis, USA
Preference for Milk and Host Glycans in Bifidobacterium infantis

Riccardo G. LoCascio, University of California Davis, Davis, USA
Comparative genomics of Bifidobacterium longum strains identifies genes relevant for human and bovine milk oligosaccharides utilization

David Sela, University of California Davis, Davis, USA
Coevolution with milk has influenced innovation in the Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis genome to utilize sialylated and fucosylated milk oligosaccharides

Laurine Buscara, Deakin University, Australia
Rspo1 is essential to normal mammary gland development

Ghyslaine Schopen, Wageningen University, The Netherlands
Quantitative trait locus (QTL) detection for milk protein composition in dairy cattle

Elizabeth Thomas, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
Epithelial stem cells endogenous to human breast-milk give rise to three-dimensional differentiated milk-secreting units in vitro

Arun Sondur Jayappa, The University of Sydney, Camden, Australia
Transcriptome analysis of the liver during lactation

Jovana Maksimovic, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Victoria, Australia
Sialyllactose in Milk. Transcriptional regulation of the B-galactose a-2,6 sialyltransferase 1 gene in the bovine mammmary gland

Karensa Menzies, Deakin University, Australia
Comparative genomics. The folate receptor alpha gene: a potential key regulator of milk protein synthesis

Christy VanderJagt, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Victoria, Australia
Comparative analysis of marsupial and eutherian genomes to identify genes critical in bovine milk production

Riccardo G. LoCascio, University of California Davis, Davis, USA
Gut epithelial cells transcriptional response to Bifidobacteria and Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), a focus on synergistic changes in surface glycosylation patterns

Mille Felicie Faucon, INRA, Saint Genès Champanelle, France
During pregnancy, the goat mammary tissue first express genes representative of the immune function before the acquisition of its complete secretory phenotype