Lactation Newsmakers - Dr. Rafael Perez-Escamilla’s Academic and Professional Journey: Advancing Global Breastfeeding Through Science and Policy

This interview is a personal narrative of Dr. Rafael Pérez-Escamilla's academic and professional journey. He received his BS in Chemical Engineering at Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City and then obtained his MS in Food Science and PhD in nutrition at UC Davis. In one of his courses, breast milk was presented as an essential and powerful biological tissue. Realizing that breastfeeding practices in Mexico were less than optimal, he pursued a PhD in maternal and infant nutrition in Mexico. He conducted the first experimental study examining the impact of two steps combined Step 5 (breastfeeding support) and Step 7 (rooming-in) of what later became known as the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative. He led and co-led several groundbreaking studies, including those that informed the PROBIT trial, and is currently Professor of Public Health at the Yale School of Public Health. He developed the Breastfeeding Gear Model, which identified eight key "gears" to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding on a large scale. More recently, he co-led the 2023 Breastfeeding Lancet series, which examined why, despite all the evidence, breastfeeding rates around the world remain suboptimal. It stressed that breastfeeding is a collective societal responsibility that involves health systems and social and economic policies and can be influenced by industry pressures. Throughout the narrative, Dr. Pérez Escamilla also highlights major paradigm shifts. Breastfeeding is crucial for planetary health as it helps to mitigate carbon emissions, protect the environment, and incur less cost than commercial milk formulas. His ongoing research and professional mission are to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding globally through evidence-based, equitable, and sustainable practices.