Medela partners with Mothers’ Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes to strengthen the web of care and opens the Medela Human Milk Research Lab

Medela partners with Mothers’ Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes to strengthen the web of care and opens the Medela Human Milk Research Lab 

Medela announced a partnership with the Mothers’ Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes (Milk Bank WGL) in the U.S. and the launch of the new Medela Human Milk Research Lab. Medela reinforces its commitment to advancing research, supporting families, and strengthening the web of care around mothers, babies, and healthcare professionals. Medela’s shared goal is to ensure access to breast milk for all and help the Milk Bank WGL expand its capabilities, allowing more hospitals and families to benefit from life-saving donor human milk. 

Medela Human Milk Research Lab  

At the heart of this partnership is the launch of the Medela Human Milk Research Lab, a dedicated space within the Milk Bank WGL that will drive new research, testing, and innovation in human milk science. Despite breast milk’s well-documented benefits, critical knowledge gaps remain—particularly regarding the composition of human donor milk, its antibodies, and fortification possibilities. This lab will allow Medela to explore these areas further while highlighting donor milk’s short- and long-term health and economic benefits, particularly for Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) infants. 

As a company rooted in breast milk science, this collaboration exemplifies Medela’s mission to turn science into care, supporting the entire journey from breast to belly. From breast pumps to neuroscientists, health economists, and researchers, it takes a network of expertise to ensure access to breast milk and improve health outcomes for the most vulnerable infants. 

Strengthening the web of care 

Medela hosted a panel discussion on January 17, 2025, to launch and celebrate this partnership —“Advancing Research and Nurturing Health from Breast to Belly: Medela’s Collaboration with the Great Lakes Milk Bank to Strengthen the Web of Care.” The panelists included Michael Larsson, Medela's Chairman of the Board; Distinguished Prof. Paula Meier, Nurse Scientist at Rush University, U.S.; Prof. Tricia Johnson, Human Milk Economist at Rush University, U.S.; Summer Kelly, Executive Director of the Mother’s Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes and Immediate Past President of the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA); and Angela Lang, DNP-CNS, RN, C-ONQS, CNL, IBCLC, Medela's Global Director of Medical Affairs and Clinical Education. 

Following the panel discussion, the new Medela Human Milk Research Lab was officially inaugurated, marking an important milestone in Medela’s ongoing investment in breast milk research.  

About the Mothers’ Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes

Milk Bank WGL is a non-profit HMBANA-accredited milk bank that serves all of Wisconsin and Illinois, U.S. The milk bank provides pasteurized donor human milk to premature and critically ill babies, supports moms who donate milk after loss and distributes reduced-cost or free milk to outpatients with a financial or medical need.  

Milk Bank WGL’s ethical, sustainable model maximizes the utilization of a natural resource while supporting breastfeeding promotion and duration. Their passionate and mission-driven group is dedicated to increasing equitable access to donor milk and leading scientific research. To learn more about the Milk Bank WGL: www.milkbankwgl.org.