Picture of a woman with blonde hair standing up with there arms crossed. She is smiling.

Dr. Merilee (Meredith) Brockway, PhD RN IBCLC

Pronouns: she/her

Positions

Assistant Professor

Faculty of Nursing, Faculty

Child Health & Wellness Researcher

Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute

Contact information

Location

Office: Professional Faculties3260J

For media enquiries, contact

Karen Cook, Director, Communications

Office: +1.403.220.4361
Email: kcook@ucalgary.ca
Twitter: @ucalgarynursing

Background

Credentials

International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners , 2011

Registered Nurse (RN), College of Registered Nurses of Alberta, 2004

Educational Background

PhD Nursing, University of Calgary, 2019

BN Nursing, University of Calgary, 2004

BSc Biotechnology, University of Lethbridge, 2000

Biography

I am a clinician-scientist and trialist who uses mixed methods to explore biological, emotional, and social dimensions of health related to early life exposures and infant feeding. I have a PhD in nursing and I am an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) with expertise in maternal-child health, infant feeding, and patient engagement. I completed my PhD in nursing at the University of Calgary, examining maternal breastfeeding self-efficacy and infant feeding outcomes in moderate and late preterm infants. I also completed a three-year post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Manitoba in Dr. Meghan Azad’s THRIVE Discovery Lab, exploring clinical applications of donor human milk for preterm infants. As an Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary, my program of research examines the use of human milk as a clinical intervention to mitigate early life perturbations to the infant microbiome. When I am not researching lactation and human milk, I love to hike, mountain bike, and cross-country ski with my family. 

Research

Participation in university strategic initiatives

Courses

Course number Course title Semester
NURS630 Quantitative Research and Statistics Winter 2024

Projects

DO-RE-MI Trial

The DOnor human milk to REpair the full-term infant MIcrobiome (DO-RE-MI) Trial examines the impact of donor human supplementation compared to formula supplementation on the infant microbiome in infants who experience adverse early-life exposures to their gut microbiome.

My program of research aims to transform healthcare provision to enhance child health outcomes for vulnerable populations, specifically infants who experience adverse early life exposures. I am a nurse scientist specializing in preterm birth, infant nutrition, early life exposures, and family-centered care. I have expertise in mixed methods designs, clinical trials, community engagement, and patient-oriented research. My developing program of research examines the role of infant feeding, specifically the provision of breastmilk and donor human milk, in informing health outcomes for infants who experience vulnerability through adverse early life exposures. I routinely engage clinicians, patients/parents, and policymakers in research to ensure that outcomes are meaningful and understandable to the knowledge user. My program of research bridges existing foundational microbiome evidence with clinical expertise to conduct translational research that will address and remediate the impact of adverse early life exposures on the developing infant microbiome. In the LATCH Lab, we incorporate an intersectional lens to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion of marginalized populations into this important field of research. I also use a socio-ecological understanding of how the determinants of health interact with the infant (host) and their microbiome. My program of research is unique because I can leverage my nursing expertise with my microbiome training, patient-oriented research, and clinical trial experience, to develop pragmatic clinical interventions that will enhance child health outcomes.