LRF CIBF
The Larsson-Rosenquist Foundation Centre for Immunology and Breastfeeding at The University of Western Australia is led by Professor Valerie Verhasselt.
LRF CIBF focus: Research on early-life immune development.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding team at LRF CIBF
Photos: Darren Neumann
How LRF CIBF describes its work
Our work is grounded in a clear scientific stance: infants require a dedicated, biologically adapted approach to healthcare.
The infant's immune system undergoes rapid and complex development. During this critical period, it must support growth, learn to tolerate what is harmless, and respond appropriately to threats. Our Centre aims to build a holistic understanding of the key factors that promote healthy immune development in early life.
Within this framework, we place particular emphasis on human milk, which has co-evolved over millions of years to meet the highly specific needs of the developing infant immune system. We are especially interested in how colostrum lays the foundations for healthy development during the first days of life, and how continued breastfeeding shapes immune development in the longer term by translating the external environment into a biological language the newborn immune system can understand.
We generate knowledge through preclinical models and birth cohort studies, with the ultimate aim of translating our findings into strategies that improve child health from the very beginning of life. Because the immune system sits at the core of many health outcomes, our work has direct relevance to the prevention of key burdens of disease in childhood, including allergies, infections, and malnutrition. Ultimately, we aim to empower parents and healthcare professionals with evidence-based guidance, and to inspire nature-informed, age-appropriate strategies for lifelong health.
Prof. Valerie Verhasselt
Director, LRF CIBF
“Our Centre complements the consortium by bringing strong expertise in early-life immunology, human milk biology, animal models, and translational birth cohort studies.”
Photo: © Markus Forte, all rights reserved
Open access key publications reflecting main research of LRF CIBF
Colostrum as a Protective Factor Against Peanut Allergy: Evidence From a Birth Cohort
A newborn's perspective on immune responses to food
Allergen shedding in human milk: Could it be key for immune system education and allergy prevention?
Additional to its own projects, LRF CIBF comes together with the other LRF Research Centers on GHMRC collaborations and interdisciplinary, multi-center projects.
Cross-center, interdisciplinary collaborations via the GHMRC
LRF CIBF and LRF NGN: ‘NeuroNurture: Unveiling Neurodevelopmental Trajectories Promoted by Colostrum’
LRF CIBF and LRF NGN: ‘The Role of Colostrum Feeding in Neurodevelopment’
Vision for the GHMRC
Our vision for the Global Human Milk Research Consortium is a unique, collaborative, multidisciplinary platform that generates the outstanding knowledge needed to promote child health through one of Nature’s most powerful and successful interventions: human milk. Beyond discovery, the consortium serves as an exceptional training environment for the next generation of scientists, equipping them to continue this mission and translate knowledge into lasting impact for children worldwide.
Value of the GHMRC
The unique strength of the GHMRC lies in its ability to break traditional scientific silos. By bringing together outstanding researchers across infant immune development and neurodevelopment, breastmilk biochemistry, breastfeeding endocrinology, and health economics, the consortium creates a rare opportunity to address child health through breastfeeding in a truly integrated way. Its focus on vulnerable populations and high-need settings ensures that discoveries are not only scientifically important, but also capable of reducing health inequities and driving meaningful social impact.
Discover more about LRF CIBF
LRF CIBF research vision
Lifelong health through a strong start in life.
LRF CIBF mission
Building a holistic understanding of early-life immune development, with human milk as a key biological driver, to enable age-tailored care and promote healthy development.