HIV Donor Milk

Dr. Kelsey Cochrane (PhD, RD) asked Waniska to join the HIV Donor Milk study to help with community engagement. The Waniska team will assist her research by collaborating with and engaging the community through our connections, and will ensure Indigenous voices are included. Recruitment will look at participants that are from Saskatchewan-based programs for HIV-positive individuals.

This study aims to gain firsthand insights into the feasibility of donor breast milk for HIV-exposed infants. The goals are to understand mothers’ and caregivers’ acceptability of and concerns with providing donor breast milk as part of their baby’s diet, along with solutions for providing donor breast milk. Currently, donor breast milk is only available to infants that are in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The milk is supplied by Canada’s only milk bank, in Calgary, Alberta.

Dr. Cochrane, an assistant professor of nutrition at the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, will receive the Excellence Award at the 2025 Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF) Sante Awards. Please visit SHRF’s website to read all about Dr. Cochrane and her amazing work.

For more information, please contact pewaseskwan@usask.ca