Back to overview

Bryony Davies becomes first-ever Family Larsson-Rosenquist Foundation Fellow

She was awarded the Fellowship in 2025 to support her PhD position.

Bryony’s project

Conducted between LRF OCEHL and LRF MOMI CORE, it investigates the biology of delayed secretory activation with a particular focus on mothers of small vulnerable newborns (SVNs).

The study aims to:

  • Establish hormone reference intervals to identify women at risk of delayed secretory activation.

  • Understand how hormones influence mammary gene expression, metabolism and milk composition in the early postpartum period.


With Bryony’s fellowship, we are deepening understanding of delayed secretory activation in mothers of SVNs. This research will tackle three critical questions:

  1. Do maternal disease and infant prematurity impair early postpartum lactation hormone secretion?

  2. Does reduced mammary gland development contribute to delayed secretory activation?

  3. What is the impact of delayed secretory activation on the nutrient and bioactive composition of colostrum and milk?


Photo: University of Oxford

Contact us