Mariana Muelbert, a researcher at the University of Auckland’s Liggins Institute, is New Zealand’s recipient of the 2026 L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Fellowship, worth $25,000.
She studies breastfeeding, the composition of human milk and its effects on the health of babies and families. Her flagship project, the ALMA Study, examines how medical interventions during pregnancy and birth affect breastfeeding, milk composition and infant health.
The fellowship will pay for childcare during international conferences and research visits, and for visits to human milk and lactation research groups in Australia. Her long-term goal is to set up a dedicated human milk and lactation research centre in Auckland.
