Human Lactology

The Birth of a New Specialty

Nearly every organ and tissue in the human body has its own established specialty: Cardiology for the heart, hepatology for the liver, hematology for the blood... Yet, there has never been a specialty dedicated to the mammary gland and its primary function, to produce human milk and nourish and protect the baby.

The Human Milk Institute (HMI) is changing that!

By convening leading experts from across the university and health system, HMI is formalizing the study of human milk and breastfeeding as a new interdisciplinary scientific field known as Human Lactology.

The Founders Circle of Human Lactology

The Founders Circle of Human Lactology - initiated in early 2026 - is a community of visionary pioneers whose passion and philanthropic generosity drive the creation of this new scientific specialty. Seeded with initial gifts from Hannah Kohlberg Johnson, Lauren Klein and Pelin Thorogood, the Founders Circle invites forward-thinking philanthropic partners to help shape and accelerate this emerging field — powering the science of human milk to improve health outcomes worldwide and transform lifelong health for generations.

The 6 Steps to Graduating Human Lactologists

In a systematic, multi-step approach HMI is building the first academic track in Human Lactology. 

1. Perform a detailed needs assessment
2. Define goals and learning objectives
3. Determine content and select strategies
4. Develop training materials
5. Implement the curriculum
6. Evaluate and update the program 

This new field of study will apply a holistic, multidisciplinary and campus-wide approach from biomedical research to social sciences and public health impact. It will include a specialized curriculum, coursework, workshops and dedicated training tracks.

We envision graduating the first generation of Human Lactologists right here at UC San Diego.