A recent paper that has generated national attention has an Animal Sciences connection. Dr. Joseph S. Hogan, Professor, Department of Animal Sciences, was a co-investigator on a study looking at the microbial content of human milk purchased through the internet (see reference below). The paper was published online October 21 in the journal Pediatrics. The lead author, Dr. Sarah A. Keim, is with the Center for Biobehavioral Health at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital (Columbus) and the Division of Epidemiology and Department of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University. Departments of Microbial Infection and Immunity and Microbiology were also represented in the author list, as well as Cincinnati Children's Center for Breastfeeding Medicine at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. Dr. Hogan participated in study design and data analysis/interpretation and supervised laboratory analysis. Also involved in the study were Janet McCormick and Pam Schoenberger of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center Mastitis Laboratory.
Nationwide Children's Hospital's news release can be linked to here. The research results were picked up by numerous regional and national news outlets, including USA Today, NBC News, ABC News, U.S. News & World Report, and National Public Radio.
Sarah A. Keim, Joseph S. Hogan, Kelly A. McNamara, Vishnu Gudimetla, Chelsea E. Dillon, Jesse J. Kwiek, and Sheela R. Geraghty. Microbial Contamination of Human Milk Purchased Via the Internet. Pediatrics peds.2013-1687; published ahead of print October 21, 2013, doi:10.1542/peds.2013-1687. Link