By Lilian Lopez Leyva, Ph.D. candidate at McGill University

Last December 2024, I had the honour of presenting at the International Society for Research in Human Milk and Lactation (ISHRML) Conference in Charleston, South Carolina. Sharing my Ph.D. research through my talk, “Milk minerals are strongly associated with milk bacteria but not maternal diet,” was an exciting milestone as I near the completion of my degree.

This was the first conference I was able to attend in my Ph.D., as COVID and other extenuating circumstances limited my opportunities to attend other conferences. I was looking forward to the opportunity to connect with other researchers in my field, learn more about human milk and lactation and gain more insights on my topic, which will allow me to enrich my thesis and prepare for my Ph.D. defence.  

This conference was especially important to me because it is very niche and small. The most relevant people on the field attend this conference so it is a great opportunity to connect with the experts on human milk and lactation. One of my future dream jobs is working at an NGO, so I was very excited to connect with people already working in this capacity. In particular, I knew that Dr. Lawrence Grummer from WHO was going to be there, so as a good novice, I googled his picture and had his face in mind so I could try to find him. He was a young, skinny and cheerful man in said photo. The very first day of the conference, a more senior, kind and bearded man sat next to me, and when I looked at his tag I read “Dr. Lawrence Grummer!” The person did not look at all like the picture I found on the internet (I have learned people do not update their pictures), but I was excited to have found him and to introduce myself to him. He was very humble and opened to share his experience at WHO. See us together below!

I met very interesting people at the ISHRML conference, including many researchers that I have read and cited. I was pleased to see how nice and modest all of them were. The opportunity to talk to them and learn from their own professional journeys was very inspiring. Right now, towards the end of my doctorate it is hard to feel motivated, to keep looking for opportunities and to grow as a researcher. As a joke, I keep saying that at this stage I just want to finish and have my own bakery. I know that is not truly what I want, but before the conference I really felt a bit lost in my career and lacking energy. I cannot say I have found my calling, but I definitely got inspired by the amazing careers others have built by just doing what they love.

Besides meeting several professionals, I enjoyed meeting other students also completing a PhD. I consider myself a very shy person and I was afraid to be at the conference alone, but the very first day I met wonderful people that after sharing our love of science and experiences in the PhD, I can now call friends.

This experience was a great occasion to do some networking and I got the validation and reassurance I have been seeking these past years. I have had impostor syndrome for the last few years, which I am sure is very common during a Ph.D., but being at this conference, where my research was relevant and all the other presentations were important to me, provided me with a great sense of belonging. This made me feel confident and reassured me that I was at the right place, that my hard work was paying off and that there are more things to look forward to after completing my degree.

The conference offered invaluable discussions with inspiring researchers, helping me reflect on my work’s impact and future potential. It reaffirmed my passion for maternal and infant health research and motivated me to continue striving toward meaningful contributions in this field.

I’m grateful to everyone who made this event such a memorable experience!

About the author: Lilian López Leyva holds a bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Wellness from the Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico. She is a Certified Diabetes Educator and Certified Mental Health Facilitator with clinical experience in renal, maternal and child nutrition as well as experience in health promotion. She completed her M.Sc. in Human Nutrition at McGill University in 2020. She is now pursuing a Ph.D. degree in Human Nutrition.