The Journal of Human Lactation has announced that the winner of winner of the 2015 Patricia Martens Annual Award for Excellence in Breastfeeding Research is Yale School of Health Professor, Dr. Rafael Pérez-Escamilla. Dr. Pérez-Escamilla is a professor of epidemiology and public health and director of the Global Health Concentration and of the Office of Public Health Practice. His research has led to improvements in breastfeeding protection, promotion, and support worldwide through health-facility and community-based initiatives including breastfeeding peer counseling. He has published over 150 research articles and has served as mentor to over 60 graduate students from all over the world. He is a member of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Food and Nutrition Board and chaired the IOM workshop on “Updating the USDA National Breastfeeding Campaign.” He is President of the International Society for Research in Human Milk and Lactation (ISRHML) and has been senior scientific advisor to maternal-child nutrition projects funded by USAID, USDA and numerous UN agencies including UNICEF, WHO and PAHO.

[Photo: Dr. Rafael Pérez-Escamilla]