Big shoutout to Boshra Alsulaiti for driving this review! @geneticscam.bsky.social

If this sounds like you - send me a DM/email with your CV + transcript + a few lines on your interests. I’d be happy to discuss ideas and support a competitive application.

www.findaphd.com/phds/program...

If you’re excited by lactation biology / mammary gland development / milk composition and want to do mechanistic work in vivo, get in touch.

You’ll need:
• strong academic track record (min good 2:1 or equivalent)
• essential: hands-on molecular biology experience

Our atlas is open & ready to explore in this link: geulahanin-mammarygland.shinyapps.io/mammary_data...
Excited to see what the community will do with it!

Big shoutout to my amazing co-authors 👏 thank you for your ideas and teamwork. A real privilege to work together on this! A special thank you to my mentor Anne Ferguson-Smith, for her guidance and support! @geneticscam.bsky.social

Why does it matter?
💡 We identify new targets for lactation failure
💡 Early risk markers for postpartum breast cancer
💡 Insight into how maternal vs paternal genes control lactation
💡 We provide a comprehensive public atlas for the community

We also find that postpartum breast cancer–associated genes are activated after weaning in a cell type often overlooked in the mammary gland, revealing early molecular signals specific to postpartum breast cancer.

Interestingly, we found that genes linked to lactation problems aren’t confined to milk-producing cells. They’re also active in other mammary cells like mammary adipocytes and stromal cells, broadening our view of what drives successful lactation.

Our atlas revealed 25 imprinted genes in the mammary gland, uncovered novel regulators of lactation and showed that genes linked to breastfeeding failure & postpartum breast cancer are active in unexpected cell types.

So address this, we built the most detailed mammary dataset yet: 480 transcriptomes, 6 cell types, 10 developmental stages and reciprocal hybrid crosses with 4 biological replicates: A time-lapse map of gene activity across motherhood.

Why?
Breastfeeding is vital for both mother & infant, but the genetic & epigenetic regulation of lactation remains poorly understood. Imprinted genes, which exert parent-of-origin-specific effects, drive prenatal growth. We asked if they also shape early nutrition by regulating lactation.

📝 Registration is free but required to attend.
🔗 Reserve your place here: www.eventbrite.de/e/cambridge-...

@aj-twigger.bsky.social @koulman.bsky.social @cam-repro.bsky.social

We’ll explore topics ranging from public health and global milk banking to molecular biology and lived experiences of breastfeeding.
Alongside thought-provoking talks, there will be plenty of opportunities for discussion, networking and sharing ideas over drinks and light bites.