ABREAST CONFERENCE 25 JUNE 2026 SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT - DR STUART PROSSER Dr Stuart Prosser graduated with an MBBS from The University of Western Australia in 2000 before pursuing further studies in #Child #Health, #Women’s #Health, #Obstetrics and #Gynaecology, #Anaesthetics and Skin Cancer Management. Stuart has worked as a Procedural General Practitioner, practising both Anaesthetics and Obstetrics, for over 15 years. During his initial General Practice training he completed his Advanced Diploma in Obstetrics and his JCCA in Anaesthetics. Throughout this period, Stuart has continually focused on enhancing the patient experience. Stuart holds a Master in Medicine, specialising in perioperative medicine and healthcare systems and leadership, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Melbourne. He maintains a long-standing commitment to continuous education and serves as an associate professor at Curtin University. Stuart is proud to be the #Lead #General #Practitioner #Obstetrician (GPO) at Western Obstetrics, a multi-disciplinary practice that provides team-based maternity care. They offer midwifery-led maternity care, with support from GP Obstetricians, and other health services such as women's health physiotherapists, psychologists, and lactation consultants. Stuart will be presenting at #ABREAST2026 on: Tongue tie clinical assessment The presence of a lingual frenulum, or ‘tongue tie’ is often considered as a cause of current or future breastfeeding difficulties and issues such as reflux, fussiness and low weight gain. Approaches to the clinical assessment of tongue tie vary widely, and while screening for aspects of tongue structure and function is usually performed, an assessment of infant feeding is also needed. In this presentation Dr Prosser will use #case #reports to illustrate a comprehensive approach to #tongue #tie #assessment using a validated #tool, #assessment and discussion. Register Now! Early bird registrations are now open - Link in Bio https://www.abreast.network/abreast-2026

ABREAST CONFERENCE 25 JUNE 2026 SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT - Kaitlyn Rae Kaitlyn is a second year #PhD #candidate at The University of Western Australia investigating breast milk #metabolomics, #chrononutrition, and the links between milk #composition and #infant #sleep. She holds an Honours degree in Human Reproductive Biology from UWA, where her research focused on neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome. Prior to commencing her PhD, Kaitlyn worked as a scientist in molecular immunology, specialising in DNA extraction and PCR for organ transplantation. Kaitlyn’s current work integrates LC-MS method development with infant feeding and sleep data to examine how nutritional and hormonal patterns in breast milk influence early-life physiology. Her research aims to advance understanding of infant sleep regulation and support evidence-based guidance for breastfeeding families. Kaitlyn will be presenting at #ABREAST2026 on: “Does the Volume and Energy of Breast Milk Consumed, Impact the Timing and Duration of Infant Sleep?” #Sleep in early life supports #neurodevelopment, yet the role of #feeding in shaping infant sleep remains unclear. Despite limited evidence, feeding strategies such as providing larger, “filling”, or more energy-dense feeds are commonly used to encourage longer sleep. In this session, I will examine whether the #volume and #energy content of #breast #milk feeds, influence the #timing and #duration of infant sleep. Using detailed feed-level intake #data and milk composition alongside prospective sleep #recordings, this work investigates whether short-term variations in intake are associated with infant sleep outcomes. The findings challenge common assumptions around feeding and sleep and have important implications for breastfeeding guidance. They also highlight the need to explore bioactive components of breast milk, such as hormones, in shaping infant sleep-wake patterns. Register Now! Early bird registrations are now open https://www.abreast.network/abreast-2026

ABREAST CONFERENCE 25 JUNE 2026 SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT - Sharon Perrella Sharon Perrella PhD(Dist) is a Research Fellow at The University of Western Australia, Centre for Human Lactation Research and Translation. Sharon has a clinical background with extensive experience in #neonatal intensive care #nursing and has a special interest in #preterm #breastfeeding and milk production. She has used ultrasound and intraoral vacuum measurement to examine sucking dynamics and suck-swallow-breathe coordination after preterm birth and in dyads experiencing breastfeeding difficulties. Sharon’s current work focuses on the identification and management of women at risk of low milk production and early cessation of breastfeeding, with a particular interest in lactation outcomes after pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes. She is passionate about sharing the science of human lactation with health professionals and families. Sharon will be presenting at #ABREAST2026 on: Shield Fitting The #fitting of breast pump #shields is such a hot topic! We know it’s not a case of ‘one size fits all,’ and finding the right size for an individual woman can be tricky. Our UWA data show changes in nipple diameter measurements over the course of a breastfeed or pumping session, and between measurements on different days. Also, some women have more elastic tissue with noticeable nipple expansion and extension during pumping. Join us for a discussion on fitting a ‘moving target’ where flexibility rather than a fixed rule is needed. #Register #Now! Early bird registrations are now open - Link In Bio

ABREAST CONFERENCE 25 JUNE 2026 #SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT - Prof Donna Geddes Donna is a #lactation scientist and is renowned for her novel work with ultrasound imaging that has revolutionized the understanding of the anatomy of the lactating #breast, milk ejection and blood flow, as well as the infant’s #sucking technique, suck-swallow-breathe co-ordination, gastric emptying, and body composition of both the term and preterm #infant. Her research has expanded to include the synthesis and removal of milk from the breast, the composition of human milk and its impact on the growth and body composition of breastfed infants, the investigation of human milk metabolites and the search for biomarkers that are indicative of breast dysfunction. As #Director of the Geddes Hartmann Human Lactation Group, Donna runs a #holistic research program that endeavours to provide evidence to underpin clinical practice, improve breast milk production and develop diagnostic tests for women experiencing breastfeeding difficulties. Donna has published over 250 peer-reviewed articles on human lactation. She was awarded The University of Western Australia Senior Research #Award in 2022 and is Director of the UWA Centre for Human Lactation Research and Translation, and Founder of the #ABREAST Network. We are thrilled to announce Donna will be hosting two #live #ultrasound demos at ABREAST2026! 1. Live ultrasound #sucking demonstration: Ultrasound imaging gives us a real-time window into the mechanics of breastfeeding that cannot be easily observed any other way. By placing a transducer beneath the infant's chin during a feed, we can visualise tongue movement, nipple elongation and milk flow. As such ultrasound may allow us to visualise infant oral anomalies that potentially impact milk removal from the breast. These conditions include tongue tie, and cleft lip/palate. This ultrasound demonstration of infant sucking combined with measurement of milk volume removed from the breast will provide a greater understanding of the impact of oral anomalies on breastfeeding. 2. #Live ultrasound #shield fitting demonstration: EARLY BIRD REGISTRATIONS ARE AVAILABLE NOW Link in Bio

ABREAST CONFERENCE 25 JUNE 2026 SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT - Tanya van Aswegen Tanya is an Accredited Practising #Dietitian with almost two decades of experience in clinical and public health nutrition across Australia, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. She holds a Master of Public Health and is currently a first year PhD candidate at UWA. Tanya’s clinical practice and research focus on #supporting breastfed #infants and their #caregivers navigating #food #intolerances and #allergies, with a particular interest in improving caregiver experiences, and evidence-informed care in this complex space. Tanya will be presenting at #ABREAST2026 on: Over-diagnosed or under-recognised? A look at food allergy in breast-milk fed infants #Food #allergies are #immune reactions to specific food proteins and can affect the #gut, #skin or #respiratory system. In breastfed infants, this is a particularly complex and uncertain space. Symptoms are often delayed, overlap with normal infant behaviour, and we have limited validated diagnostic tools to guide us. Much of the current management is based on consensus rather than strong evidence, creating potential risks of both over and under-diagnosis. Tanya will explore what is currently known about this area and where the gaps remain. There will also be insights shared from a new qualitative study capturing the lived-experiences of Australian caregivers and healthcare providers, which might help improve care and shape meaningful research priorities in this field. Join Us! Early bird registrations are now #open - LINK IN BIO

ABREAST CONFERENCE 25 JUNE 2026 SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT - John Klauz John is a #paediatric #physiotherapist with a special interest in #newborn infants with positional deformities and intrauterine packaging disorders. He completed his physiotherapy degree at Curtin University and a Master of Advanced Paediatric Physiotherapy Practice at Monash University. He currently practices at Bloom Pelvic Health in Stirling, and Kwinana Physiotherapy. John will be presenting at #ABREAST2026 on: Beyond the Frenulum: Musculoskeletal Barriers to Breastfeeding Breastfeeding difficulties are often attributed to oral restrictions such as tongue-ties, yet infant musculoskeletal and developmental factors may also influence feeding success. This presentation explores how conditions including congenital muscular torticollis, deformational plagiocephaly, hypotonia, and selected congenital disorders can affect infant positioning, cervical mobility, and latch mechanics. Paediatric physiotherapist John Klauz discusses the role of early identification, interdisciplinary collaboration, and physiotherapy-informed positioning strategies in supporting breastfeeding outcomes, while addressing common myths surrounding manual therapies and musculoskeletal treatment in infants. Early bird registrations are now open! LINK IN BIO

ABREAST CONFERENCE 25 JUNE 2026 SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT - Holly Tickner Holly Tickner is a Speech Pathologist (BSc, MSPA, CPSP) who has worked for the past two decades in the area of paediatric feeding difficulties, which has become her core clinical passion. She has spent the majority of her career in paediatric and neonatal tertiary hospital settings. She established the Speech Pathology role at King Edward Memorial Hospital and was heavily involved in the #NICU ward and outpatient feeding services at Perth Children's Hospital (formerly Princess Margaret Hospital) for many years. Holly considers herself fortunate that in addition to this, during her career she has had the opportunity to work across paediatric mental health, community services, the disability sector, early intervention, and academia. Holly regularly teaches on paediatric feeding disorders to health professionals nationally and internationally and supports many allied health professionals across the country with clinical supervision and mentoring. Holly is deeply committed to evidence-based practice and enjoys robust discussion in this space. Through her role as a writer and science communicator with The Informed SLP, Holly translates research into practical, clinically relevant guidance, with a focus on infant feeding, paediatric feeding disorders and early intervention. Holly will be presenting at #ABREAST2026 on: SNIP HAPPENS; When feeding challenges persist after tongue-tie release Parents often hope the release of their baby's tongue-tie will improve a laundry-list of infant feeding challenges. But what about the babies who don't improve? Join Holly Tickner, Speech Pathologist (MSPA, CPSP), for a series of short case studies illustrating the need for thorough and comprehensive feeding evaluation, including functional oral motor assessment of infant feeding. Early bird registrations are now open https://www.abreast.network/abreast-2026 Link in Bio

Early bird registrations for #Abreast2026 are now open! Save on registration, join a powerhouse line up of speakers and supporters advancing research and advocacy and help shape the conversation. Link in Bio: https://www.abreast.network/abreast-2026 #Abreast2026 #Accessibility #Diversity #EarlyBird

Huge congratulations to Xuehua Jin on submitting her PhD: Exploring milk composition and maternal factors in women with low milk supply. Your dedication and hard work inspire us all. Here’s to a bright future ahead! 🎉 Congratulations!