Dr. Meghan Azad is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Child Health at the University of Manitoba, Canada. With dual expertise in basic science (biochemistry and genetics) and clinical research (epidemiology and pediatrics), Dr. Azad conducts translational research on the developmental origins of chronic disease. Her current research focuses on maternal nutrition, breastfeeding, and breast milk composition in the development and prevention of childhood obesity, asthma and allergic disease. Dr. Azad also leads collaborative projects examining perceptions of breastfeeding on social media, and developing methods to improve societal support for breastfeeding through school-based education programs.

Dr. Azad co-leads the Manitoba site of the Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development (CHILD) Study, a national pregnancy cohort following 3500 children to understand how early life experiences and gene-environment interactions shape lifelong health. She also co-leads the Population Health Pillar for the Manitoba Developmental Origins of Chronic Disease Network (DEVOTION), and the Maternal, Fetal and Child Health Working Group for the new Canadian Urban Environmental Health Research Consortium (CANUE). Dr. Azad serves on the Breastfeeding Committee of Canada and is an Executive Councillor for the International Society for Research in Human Milk and Lactation.