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
2021
Tian Tian, Thermo Fisher Scientific, USA
Structural Insights on Oligosaccharides in Commercial Infant Formula Products with Ion Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
2020
Katie Hinde, Arizona State University, USA
Breastfeeding Support as a Human Universal
2019
Christopher Stewart, Newcastle University, United Kingdom
Breast Milk and Gut Microbiome in Term and Preterm Infants
2018
Ishita M. Shaw, University of California Davis, USA
Human Milk Oligosaccharides Directly Enhance Gut Barrier Integrity to Alter Infections
2017
Benoit Lamarche, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
How Has Saturated Fat Become So Controversial?
2016
Steven Frese, Evolve Biosystems, Inc., USA
Rebuilding the Infant Gut Microbiome: Insights from Ecology and Evolution
2015
Bing Wang, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, China
Molecular Determinants of Milk Lactoferrin as A Bioactive Compound in Early Neurodevelopment and Cognition
2014
Per T. Sangild, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Animal Models for Early Infant Nutrition
2013
Katie Hinde, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Boy Milk & Girl Milk: Evolutionary Insights
2012
Mark Thomas, University College London, UK
The co-evolution of lactase persistence and dairying
Student Travel Award Recipients
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