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At UC Davis, Carolyn Slupsky studies how diet impacts health from pregnancy through childhood. Her NIH-funded research examines how a mother’s nutrition affects her child’s development — especially metabolic and microbiota changes. One current study investigates why some women are unable to produce enough breastmilk, with a focus on hormone and nutrition-related factors in women with obesity. Her work seeks to improve outcomes for mothers and infants, particularly those in underserved communities.

Helping Humanity

Slupsky’s work addresses a critical, often overlooked issue in maternal and child health — why some mothers struggle to breastfeed, and how that impacts both infant development and family well-being. If funding stops, data from thousands of participants would go unanalyzed. Breastfeeding reaches beyond just a health issue, but also an economic one. For families with limited resources, formula costs can force difficult trade-offs. Slupsky’s research can help ensure all mothers have access to science-based solutions that support their babies’ health and their own.

���f federal funding ends, we lose the chance to understand why some women can’t breastfeed — wasting years of work that could ease the burden for thousands of mothers and babies.”

— Carolyn Slupsky