Mitra Hooshmand Is the New Leader of the Human Milk Institute at the University of California, San Diego

Mitra Hooshmand is the new executive director of the Human Milk Institute at the University of California, San Diego. The university launched the Human Milk Institute in October 2022 to accelerate research on the nature, biology, and therapeutic potential of human milk. The institute is believed to be the first of its kind worldwide.

Dr. Hooshmand is a trained scientist with primary expertise in stem cell biology, neurobiology and immunology. Before joining the University of California, San Diego, she served as the chief science officer and deputy campaign manager for Proposition 14, the “California Stem Cell Research, Treatments and Cures Initiative of 2020.” The ballot measure provided $5.5 billion in state funding to the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) to support stem cell and regenerative medicine research. Following the initiative’s success, Hooshmand was appointed as the senior science officer at CIRM, where she developed their five-year strategic plan and determined best practices for allocating the funds towards effective programming.

“Our goal is to give every baby the best start in life, ensuring equitable access to human milk and ultimately leveraging its clinical potential to develop therapeutics for people of all ages,” said Dr. Hooshmand. “I am proud to be part of this passionate and daring team, and look forward to driving us towards a new future of human milk science.”

Dr. Hooshmand holds a bachelor’s degree in biology and a Ph.D. in neurobiology and anatomy from the University of California, Irvine.