equinn

I am a second year assistant professor of Anthropology at Washington University in St. Louis. I have a PhD in anthropology/human biology and a Masters in Public Health from Northwestern University. I study human milk composition in a comparative framework - specifically I am interested in how ecological pressures may influence milk composition, maternal reproductive strategies (and stressors) and child growth and health. Milk is largely understudied - while the health benefits of breastfeeding on preventing neonatal infection are well established and there is growing evidence to suggest that the benefits of breastfeeding persist into adulthood, much less is known about human milk itself. I'm specifically interested in understanding how mothers in unusual and extreme environments - such as mothers living at high altitude manage their reproductive careers and if there are environmental influences on milk composition.

February 2013