Meet the Breastfeeding CHAMPS Team:

Program Directors

Kathleen F. Arcaro PhD

Lead Investigator

Dr. Kathleen Arcaro at the University of Massachusetts Amherst runs the central lab unit and manages the secure database for the study. She is based out of the Institute for Applied Life Sciences.

Dr. Arcaro has pioneered research to utilize breast milk in understanding women’s health, breast cancer risk and breast cancer development. Her other current funded research includes dietary studies to modify markers of breast cancer risk and the development of new approaches to quantify ongoing risks of breast cancer for women with inherited deleterious variants of the BRCA genes.

Katie Kivlighan PhD, CNM

Lead Investigator

Katie Kivlighan is the lead investigator at the University of New Mexico (UNM) study site. She is a Certified Nurse Midwife and has been serving New Mexico families for the past 10 years.

Dr. Kivlighan is an Assistant Professor at the UNM College of Nursing, where she teaches in the Nurse-Midwifery Program and has built a research program focused on clinical, behavioral, and physiological influences on breastfeeding and lactation. Her goal is to improve screening, support, and treatment for breastfeeding and lactation.

Sallie Schneider PhD

Lead Investigator

Sallie Schneider is the lead investigator at Baystate Medical Center. She is has studied the impact of pregnancy, inflammation and life style factors on breast health for the past 22 years.

Dr. Schneider is an Associate Professor in the Dept of Surgery at UMASS Chan Medical School-Baystate. She has affiliations with UMass Amherst, the Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute and Baystate Medical Center.

University of New Mexico CHAMPS

Sandra Cardenas MSN, BAN, RN

Clinical Research Nurse

Sandra Cardenas is a first-generation Mexican American and a registered nurse. Growing up in a dense Latinx population, she saw current disparities and hopes to improve health outcomes for her people.

With eight years of nursing and three years of research experience, she is excited to work on the Breastfeeding CHAMPS as it seeks to understand mother and infant outcomes. This also aligns with Sandra’s personal goals as a Ph.D. student at the University of New Mexico College of Nursing, hoping to improve health outcomes for Latinas in New Mexico. Sandra will be working with families at the University of New Mexico North Valley Maternity and Family Planning Clinic.

Jess Long, CLC

Program Specialist

Jess Long is a Certified Lactation Counselor as well as a Clinical and Communication Lactation Specialist. She will be working with families participating through he University of New Mexico Eubank Women’s Health Clinic.

Jess’ passion for lactation support began when she had challenges breastfeeding her first daughter. She received support through a breastfeeding support group which she believes played a vital role in her breastfeeding success. Jess is thrilled to be participating in this important research that endeavors to set precedents for earlier detection and intervention for breastfeeding issues.

Esther Ryan, PhD

Research Technician

Esther Ryan earned her PhD in Bioengineering. She will be receiving and testing samples donated by participants in New Mexico and is eager to determine findings that can improve baby health and lactation outcomes

Anais Lechuga, BSN, RN, CLC, IMH-E®

Research Home Visitor

Anais Lechuga grew up in the borderlands of El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, México. Her work for the last decade has focused primarily on pregnant and new parents, infancy, and early childhood.

Anais’s mother was a new immigrant, enrolled in WIC, when she was a baby. Rooted from this place of gratitude, Anais is interested in how body feeding supports health and wellness, particularly to improve outcomes for our low-income communities of color.

Ally Jacobs, IBCLC

Research Home Visitor

Alexandra Jacobs is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) with a background in education and child development. She has worked alongside pregnant and new parents to support infant and young child feeding for the past decade

first as a nutrition educator and lactation counselor, and now as an IBCLC in private practice. Alexandra is eager to be contributing to this important research to improve lactation care and support for breastfeeding and bodyfeeding families.

Leigh Kader, CLC

Research Home Visitor

Leigh Kader is a a Certified Lactation Counselor, Certified Cooperative Childbirth Educator and a seasoned birth and postpartum doula. Propelled by the birth of her first child in 2008 to explore a career change, she has been working with birthing families for over a decade.

Raised in northern New Mexico, Leigh spent many years on the east coast before relocating with her family back to the southwest during the pandemic. As a maternal health and breastfeeding advocate, Leigh is thrilled to contribute to the Breastfeeding CHAMPS Research Study.

Caitya Kaniatobe BSW, CBPA, CBS

Research Home Visitor

Caitya Kaniatobe holds a Bachelor of Social Work, is a Certified Breastfeeding Specialist and Certified Birth and Postpartum Attendant Doula. She is on a clinical pathway to achieving her IBCLC.

She is also an MSW Graduate student focusing her studies and practice in perinatal and postpartum mental health and family centered care. She strives to walk alongside New Mexico families and communities offering resources and wrap-around services in family planning, reproductive health, birth and postpartum support to include lactation education and outreach.

Sandra Jean Taylor, IBCLC

Research Home Visitor

More info coming soon

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Baystate Medical and UMass Amherst CHAMPS

Kelly Gregory, PhD

Research Scientist

Kelly Gregory will work with Baystate participants during the sample collection phase and is excited to examine links between inflammation and breast or infant gut health.

Kelly Gregory is a Research Scientist at the Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute and is an Adjunct Research Assistant Professor at UMass Amherst. Her research focus has been on early changes that contribute to breast cancer risk.

Susan McIntyre-Major, BS

Clinical Research Assistant

Susan McIntyre-Major will be responsible for recruitment and enrollment of participants at Baystate and is proud to be part of the research team.

She has lived and worked in the greater Springfield area her entire life, and she is excited to support important studies like the Breastfeeding CHAMPS Study that could positively influence and support health interventions for families in her community.

Laura Madore, MD

Clinical Advisor

Laura Madore is practicing neonatologist and the Director of Neonatal Nutrition at Baystate Children’s Hospital with clinical and research expertise in the area of neonatal nutrition and human milk.

She oversees an array of clinical and research activities that support the health of mother-preterm infant pairs, specifically in the area of optimizing neonatal nutrition and overall health.

Molly Gallagher, IBCLC

Research Home Visitor

Molly Gallagher is an experienced International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and a mother of two, she has been deeply involved in lactation since the birth of her daughter in 2015.

She has facilitated postpartum support groups, interned at a community health clinic, and volunteered with La Leche League in California. Her primary goal is to improve maternal and infant health outcomes and reduce associated health disparities. She is particularly focused on understanding the influence of microbial factors on health outcomes.