VNOP 2018 Best Flash Talk Award for Pamela Browne

Congratulations to our PhD-student Pamela Browne! She was recently awarded the VNOP 2018 Best Flash Talk Award at the annual conference of the Dutch Society for Developmental Psychology.

Pamela presented the results of a study about the association between maternal postnatal psychosocial distress (i.e. anxiety, stress, and depression) and microbiota composition in breast milk. In the study, 59 healthy mothers collected breast milk samples at three time points during the first three months post-delivery. Mothers also filled in questionnaires on their mood. The study showed an association between maternal mood and microbial composition in milk: elevated levels of experienced psychosocial distress was related to less microbial diversity in breast milk.