Meet the Breastfeeding CHAMPS Team:

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.

Penny Darsey has earned an MS in Statistics and is working on her PhD in Statistics. She will support the research efforts through managing data, identifying potential research participants, and facilitating research operations.

Ivy Vitanzos Cervantes will support recruitment, enrollment and coordination of participants in New Mexico. She holds a Master of Public Health and has been involved in numerous research and evaluation projects to understand and improve services for pregnant people and families with young children. 

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.

Caitya Kaniatobe holds a Bachelor of Social Work, is a Certified Breastfeeding Specialist and Certified Doula. She is on a clinical pathway to achieving her IBCLC. She is a MSW Graduate student focusing her studies and practice in perinatal and postpartum mental health and family centered care.

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

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.

Landree Salazar has worked as an RN for the past 10 years. She has completed a BSN, an MSN with an emphasis in Public Health, and most recently a Master’s of Applied Positive Psychology.  She has experience both in the hospital and in the community.

Arélis D. Flores has assisted many mothers as a doula with breastfeeding hurdles and as a postpartum nurse. She first received the Certified Lactation Counselor as a doula and is now in the process of taking the IBCLC or Lactation Consultant certification exam.

Julia Dowling is a proud native of Albuquerque with a deep commitment to maternal and child health. She holds a Master’s degree in Health Education with a focus on Maternal and Child Health and is a current midwifery student. 

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.

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

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.

Eva Browne is working in Dr. Kathleen Arcaro’s Lab at UMass- Amherst. She will be processing samples for the breastfeeding CHAMPS study. She is excited to work on this research project with its direct impact on breastfeeding parents and their babies.

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.

Amaya Shackley is a 2025 graduate of Mercer University, earning a B.A. in Global Health and Anthropology. She is currently pursuing two masters degrees in Public Health and Public Policy Administration at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Grace is currently an undergraduate junior majoring in Kinesiology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She is passionate about pediatrics and women’s health. She works as an EMT and a medical scribe, and plans on pursuing Physician Assistant school after she graduates from UMass! 

Natalie Piekos is undergraduate junior majoring in Biology and minoring in Psychology on a pre-med path at UMass Amherst. She is a certified EMT and also is conducting an independent study in computational chemistry, where she models molecular structures in 3D to better understand chemical interactions and biological systems. 

Haniyah is currently an undergraduate sophomore majoring in Psychology and Public Relations at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She is excited to contribute to furthering women’s health research and enjoys learning about the gut microbiome. Haniyah is an EMT and hopes to pursue medical school! 

McKenna Lee is majoring in Public Health on the pre-med track at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, graduating this year. She previously worked in a lab studying bioactive components of human milk to support prioritization of fresh milk for preterm infants in NICUs.

Maya Furlong is a Junior Biology student on the Nursing track at the University of Massachusetts. She is pursuing a career in midwifery with an interest in reproductive health. She joined the BF Champs lab to gain hands-on experience in the field of women’s health.