About us
The Milk for Infant, Mind and Immunity (MIMI) laboratory works to improve the health and wellness of infants and their lactating mothers. Our work focuses on discovering the impact of maternal mental health and nutritional status on human milk components and the subsequent influence on infant health and developmental outcomes. We take a comprehensive approach, utilizing cellular and molecular models, the neonatal piglet model and human mother-preterm infant dyad intervention trials. We also use large national datasets to explore relationships between maternal mental health and different nutritional and demographic variables.
Principal Investigator:
Yimin Chen, PhD, RDN
Dr. Yimin Chen is a translational human milk researcher with 15 years of clinical experience as a neonatal dietitian. She investigates the effects of human milk immunomodulatory components on the infant gastrointestinal and systemic immune response. Leveraging her clinical background, Dr. Chen designs all her research projects through the lens of real-life application.
Research Focuses
The MIMI laboratory take a comprehensive approach to investigate different research questions that aim to improve the lives of infants and their lactating mothers. Research studies are designed to understand underlying mechanisms with the end goal of translating the findings to actual human application.
Bioactive Human Milk Peptides
Identifying and demonstrating bioactivities of digestion-released human milk peptides to optimize infant gastrointestinal development.
Early Feeding Exposures & Neurodevelopment
Investigating mechanisms behind the effects of early feeding exposures on neurodevelopment.
Maternal Stress & Depression Risk
Assessing the ability for accessible and translatable maternal interventions to reduce postpartum stress and depression risk.
Our Research Team
The MIMI research team includes undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Idaho.
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- Want to donate excess breastmilk?
- Want to participate in the maternal stress study?