UC San Diego Human Milk Institute Leads Effort to Establish Human Lactology

This new field of study will apply a holistic, multidisciplinary approach from biomedical research to social sciences and public health impacts. It will include a specialized curriculum, coursework, workshops and dedicated training tracks. Seeded by the Founders Circle of Human Lactology with gifts from Hannah Kohlberg Johnson, Lauren Klein and Pelin Thorogood, human lactology has the potential to inform the impacts of human milk far beyond infancy.

“Transformational change happens when science becomes truly transdisciplinary,” said Thorogood, a member of HMI’s strategic advisory board and executive chair and co-founder of Radicle Science. “Lactology is that new frontier, unlocking unprecedented opportunity and impact—and I’m proud to help bring it to life.”

Kohlberg Johnson, health equity philanthropist and also a member of HMI’s strategic advisory board, noted that lactology will fill a gap in medicine that should have been addressed decades ago. “I am proud to help build a discipline that will advance health for generations,” she said.

While the benefits of human milk for newborns are well established, researchers at HMI are now uncovering how the complex molecules and living cells in human milk may protect both infants and mothers from disease and shape health and development across the lifespan. By formalizing human lactology as a scientific discipline, HMI aims to accelerate discoveries that translate directly into improved clinical care, public health policy and education worldwide.

“Creating this new field of study will help nurture the earliest moments of life and shape every moment that follows,” said Klein, a member of HMI’s strategic advisory board and regional asset manager for Klein Financial Corporation. “This science has the power to transform families, communities and futures.”

As HMI looks to the future, human lactology represents not only a new academic pathway, but a bold reimagining of how human milk and lactation are studied—placing them at the center of lifelong health and global impact. “We invite forward-thinking philanthropists to join us in building and driving this field from the ground up,” said Kohlberg Johnson. “Your support can power groundbreaking research, education, and training — creating a ripple effect that will benefit generations.”

Learn more information about the Human Milk Institute.