Formation of Scientific Advisory Board to Lead Further Breakthroughs in Advancing the Science of Human Milk®

Inaugural Board Convened During the 4th Annual International Conference on Human Milk Science and Innovation

9/27/2016 - Prolacta Bioscience®, the nation's leading provider of human milk-based neonatal nutritional products, announced today that it has assembled a Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). The SAB convened for its inaugural meeting during the 4th Annual International Conference on Human Milk Science and Innovation in Pasadena, Calif., on Sept. 7, 2016. Introduced by Scott Elster, President and CEO, and Dr. Victoria Niklas, Chief Medical and Scientific Officer at Prolacta Bioscience, the SAB will help to guide expansion in research and development and to highlight discoveries that underlie the extended health benefits of human milk.

"The formation of the Scientific Advisory Board is the next step in Prolacta's long-standing mission to advance the science of human milk, so the International Conference on Human Milk Science and Innovation was the ideal place to commence its endeavors," said Dr. Niklas. "We are excited about the forward-looking prospects that the esteemed members of this team can deliver across a broad range of scientific research fields."

The nine-member committee, chaired by respected University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) David Geffen School of Medicine Professor and Department Chair of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Jonathan Braun M.D., Ph.D., is comprised of the finest scientific and  healthcare  talent in the country. Dr. Braun is joined by a roster of esteemed board members with specialties in human milk research, immunology, inflammatory bowel disease, neonatology, the gut-brain axis, and surgical management of intestinal failure:

• Gay M. Crooks, M.D., Ph.D. -- Professor of Pediatrics & Head, UCLA Broad Institute of Stem Cell Biology, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine
• Forest Rohwer, M.D. -- Professor of Biology, San Diego State University
• Mitch Kronenberg, Ph.D. -- President & Chief Scientific Officer, La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology
• Grace Aldrovandi, M.D. -- Professor & Chief of Infectious Disease, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine
• Brad Warner, M.D. -- Professor, Washington University School of Medicine; Surgeon-in-Chief, St. Louis Children's Hospital
• Emeran Mayer, M.D., Ph.D. -- Oppenheimer Professor, Center for Neurobiology, Stress & Resilience Division of Digestive Diseases, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine
• Michael Sherman, M.D., Ph.D. -- Professor Emeritus, University California Davis; Professor, Department of Child Health University Missouri
• Camilia Martin, M.D. -- Assistant Professor, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital; Harvard Medical School

"The advisory board's varied clinical backgrounds offer potential targets for the therapeutic components found in human milk," added Elster. "Prolacta is ready to invest in new and innovative products to continue to improve health, not only in the premature infant population, but also for conditions that impact health throughout life."

The International Conference on Human Milk Science and Innovation is a forum covering the latest in scientific and clinical research related to human milk. Renowned scientists and clinicians from around the world attend the annual event to present and discuss the scientific potential of human milk and raise awareness of its clinical applicability. Prolacta is the founding sponsor of the conference.

About Prolacta Bioscience

Prolacta Bioscience, Inc. is a privately-held life sciences company dedicated to Advancing the Science of Human Milk®. The company pioneered the development of human milk-based neonatal nutritional products to meet the needs of critically ill, premature infants in the NICU. Prolacta leads the industry in the quality and safety of nutritional products made from donor breast milk and operates the first and only pharmaceutical-grade manufacturing facility for the processing of human breast milk. For more information, please visit www.prolacta.com.