PROFILE
Melinda Boss
Started at UWA: 2012
A pathfinder in human lactation research
Melinda Boss is a PhD candidate and senior research fellow with the Pharmacy Division of the School of Allied Health at UWA. Her area of interest is human lactation. Although 96 per cent of Australian women initiate breastfeeding, less than 16 per cent of infants are exclusively breastfed to five months of age. As many important health outcomes associated with lactation are dose-related and extend beyond the period of lactation, this is a significant public health concern. Melinda's research expertise is in the integration of current scientific evidence with the care of breastfeeding women and their infants. Mrs Boss is the chief investigator for the LactaMap and LactaPedia projects and the LactaResearch group.
It is incredibly rewarding to provide evidence-informed support to mothers and babies who are in need. There is such a wide gap between our healthcare goals in this area and the actual experiences of mothers. Even small interventions can have a large impact.
Melinda Boss
Projects
LactaMap is an online lactation care support system being developed with doctors to provide an evidence-informed care pathway together with over 100 clinical practice guidelines. LactaMap will be piloted in general practice in Western Australia, with national and international release, and translation into multiple languages planned thereafter. It is intended that subsequent versions of LactaMap will be developed for supporting other health professionals and families.
LactaPedia: A glossary of lactation for science and medicine. LactaPedia aims to become a globally collaborative initiative towards the standardisation of terminology for human lactation.
Funding
2018
The Family Larsson-Rosenquist Foundation
- Development and implementation of an online glossary of lactation for science and medicine
- Boss, M and Hartmann, P
2016
The Family Larsson-Rosenquist Foundation
- Online lactation support tool
- Boss, M and Hartmann, P
2015
The Family Larsson-Rosenquist Foundation
- Development of a lactation support tool
- Boss, M and Hartmann P
2013
Rotary club of southern districts
- Lactation assessment and management programme
- Boss, M., Clifford, R. and Hartmann, P
