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Speakers – Conference 2022

Get to know ELACTA’s 2022 Conference Speakers!
Véronique Darmangeat
Speaker on May 12th, 2022
Short Bio
IBCLC - FRANCE
Veronique Darmangeat has a private practice as a certified Lactation Consultant in Paris, France. She created a breastfeeding clinic in Paris. She offers continuing education for health professionals and IBCLCs, for candidates for the IBLCE exam and provides training for hospitals. She is the author of three books. Close
Rolinde Demeyer
Speaker on May 14th, 2022
Short Bio
RD, PhD - BELGIUM
Rolinde is a registered dietitian and lactation consultant in her private practice Op de groei in Belgium. She has a special interest in allergies, starting solids and picky eating. Close
Cornelia Fuhr
Speaker on May 12th, 2022
Short Bio
Midwife, MA Sociology, IBCLC - GERMANY
I am a licensed midwife since 1987. My first experience with obstetrics during a stay abroad on Hawaii have shaped and inspired me sustainably. The important elements of Aloha are respect, love, patience and responsibility for the community. All this is part of my philosophy of life and the basis for my actions. After 13 years in clinical obstetrics and a short baby break after the birth of my daughter in 1999, I started to work as an independent family midwife in Hamburg.
I earned my master degree in social science at the university of Hanover. From 2016 on I am offering advice and support as certified lactation consultant, IBCLC. In addition I offer special consultation and specialist training in cases of oral restrictions in an interdisciplinary context. Close
Ulrike Giebel
Speaker on May 12th, and May 13th, 2022
Short Bio
Midwife, IBCLC - GERMANY
 I am a midwife and an IBCLC. I have 3 sons, 2 of them with cleft lip and palate that I have breastfed differently for over a year. After this special time, I combined my experience as an affected mother with my job and helped affected families find their way to breastfeeding. Close
Thomas Harms
Speaker on May 12th, and May 13th, 2022
Short Bio
Diplom - Psychologist - GERMANY
Thomas Harms is body-psychotherapist, author and an internationally known Trainer for Parent- Baby-Therapy. Since 2006 he is director of the Centre for Primary Prevention and Body Psychotherapy - ZePP - in Bremen. His main Focus is the work with traumatized and disregulated Babys and their Parents in acute Attachment Crisis after Birth. Close
Elena Loredana Isbasoiu Gafu
Speaker on May 13th, 2022
Short Bio
MD, IBCLC, Psychotherapist - ROMANIA
Loredana Isbasoiu-Gafu is a medical doctor working in the field of psychiatry and psychotherapy. She graduated from the Bucharest University of Medicine and Pharmacy in 2008, trained and worked as a family doctor concentrating on promoting healthy birth practices and breastfeeding. She became a childbirth educator in 2010 and an IBCLC in 2012. During this time, she also developed a particular interest in mental health following the courses of the School of Existential Analysis and Logotherapy. She devoted her time to supporting parents overcome the challenges of their new life with prenatal classes, support groups and individual counselling and psychotherapy.
Presently she is working as a psychiatric resident in one of Romania’s largest psychiatric hospitals, providing emergency psychiatric assistance, but also as a psychotherapist in private practice focusing on women’s mental health. She is the secretary of the Romanian Lactation Consultants Association and has been one of the trainers of the association’s 90 Hours Lactation Training Course since it was first developed.
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Matthias Jahn
Speaker on May 14th, 2022
Short Bio
MD, IBCLC - GERMANY
Matthias Jahn, MD, serves as attending physician for the center for obstetrics and pediatrics, department of Neonatology, and pediatric intensive care medicine at University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany. After his studies in Hamburg and Goettingen, he served in various hospitals in northern Germany. Since 2004 he has been a specialist in pediatrics. In addition, he completed special training in Neonatology (2007) and pediatric intensive care medicine (2009). In 2014 he earned a doctor's degree at Hannover medical school. Since 2017 he has been an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. Close
Juanita Jauer Steichen
Speaker on May 14th, 2022
Short Bio
MA, IBCLC - FRANCE
An IBCLC since 2003, Juanita is a passionate advocate of the International Code on the Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, she has given Code presentations around the world, has represented LLLI at Net Code meetings and is a member of the LLLI International Code & Conflicts of Interest Committee, ELACTA and the AFCL. Close

 

 

Joke Muyldermans
Speaker on May 12th, 2022
Short Bio
RM, MSc, IBCLC - BELGIUM
Joke graduated as a Midwife in 2006 and earned a Master in Midwifery in 2008. She obtained the IBCLC lactation consultant certification in 2011. She graduated in specialised applied pharmacology in 2015. She has experience as midwife and lactation consultant in her own primary care practice, is lecturer at the University College Brussels, head editor of the Flemish Journal of Midwifery and board member of the Flemish Organisation of midwives and of ELACTA. At the moment Joke is also a researcher on COVID-19 vaccination during lactation. Close
Thorsten Körner
Speaker on May 12th, 2022
Short Bio
MD, Pediatrician - GERMANY
After studying in Hamburg, Tübingen, Johannesburg and Maryland (MD), Dr. Körner went to Hamburg for his pediatric residency and neonatology fellowship. A pediatric cardiology fellowship in Kiel followed. Currently he is chief of the NICU at Klinikum LdW Bremen. Close
Chrstina Law-Mclean
Speaker on May 12th, 2022
Short Bio
RN, IBCLC - GERMANY
Christina trained as a pediatric nurse. Studying nursing management and qualifying as an IBCLC followed. She worked as head nurse of the maternity ward and since 2012 she is head of parenting education dept. Also she has a private practice as an IBCLC. Close
Sonja Liggett-Igelmund
Speaker on May 13th, 2022
Short Bio
Midwife - GERMANY
Born in 1974, Midwife since 1998, married, mother of two boys, worked in hospital labourwards in three different hospitals, worked in postnatal ward as manager in two different hospitals, founder of Meeting Bismarck NGO, which supports midwifes and children in Ghana. Close
Ragnhild Måstrup
Speaker on May 13th, 2022
Short Bio
RN, PhD, IBCLC - DENMARK
Neonatal nurse, IBCLC, and PhD. Research focused on breastfeeding preterm infants and skin-to-skin contact. Leader of Knowledge Centre for Breastfeeding Infants with Special Needs, Dept. of Neonatology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark. Close
Eggermont Marlies
Speaker on May 14th, 2022
Short Bio
PhD Law, Lawyer, Midwife - BELGIUM
Marlies Eggermont studied law at Ghent University, while working as a midwife at UMC Saint-Pieter in Brussels. Although she loved working as a midwife, she was also fascinated by health law in all its perspectives. In 2006 she started her legal training as a lawyer, focusing on health law and civil liability in general. Since 2009 she is teaching the basic principles of social and health law in the Bachelor course of Midwifery and Nursing at the Artevelde University College of Ghent. In 2018 she finished a PhD concerning the legal aspects and liability of the profession of the midwife at the Ghent University. Close
Bodo Melnik
Speaker on May 14th, 2022
Short Bio
MD, Prof - GERMANY
MD at University of Münster; Associate Professor at the University of Osnabrück, Germany.
Research interests: sebaceous and epidermal lipid metabolism, human and cow milk signaling, milk exosomes, milk microRNAs, signal transduction, non-communicable diseases of Western civilization. Close

 

Arendt Maryse
Speaker on May 12th, 2022
Short Bio
IBCLC, BScED - LUXEMBOURG
National BFHI coordinator , Board chair BLL (Association of IBCLCs Luxembourg), IBFAN member, Member of the National Breastfeeding Committee. Part of worldwide teams IBFAN Network, BFHI Network, WABA SC, ILCA delegate to Codex and WHO. Assistant editor WHO International Code for the Journal of Human Lactation. Close
Mary Nolan
Speaker on May 12th, and May 13th, 2022
Short Bio
PhD, MA, BA (Hons), RGN - UNITED KINGDOM
Mary trained as a nurse in the 1980s and then as a childbirth and parenting educator with a national UK charity, the NCT. She has worked with parents in the perinatal period across the UK and has trained birth and early parenting educators in the Republic of Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Europe as well as in the UK. In 2005, she was appointed Professor of Perinatal Education at the University of Worcester. Her research interests have focused on supporting fathers, enabling women to experience a positive birth and evaluation of early parenting programmes. Her books include Antenatal Education: A Dynamic Approach, Home Birth: The Politics of Difficult Choices and Parent Education for the Critical 1000 days, published last year. Nine years ago, she launched the International Journal of Birth and Parent Education, an independent, not-for-profit Journal for professionals working with families during the transition to parenthood. The Journal has a readership across the world. Mary lives in York in the north of England and has three daughters and four grandchildren. Close
Lucy Ruddle
Speaker on May 14th, 2022
Short Bio
IBCLC - UNITED KINGDOM
Lucy Ruddle is an International Board Certified Lactation consultant who qualified in 2018 after 4 years of providing breastfeeding support, having overcome some significant challenges feeding her own babies. Lucy specialises in relactation – the process or rebuilding a milk supply without a new pregnancy. Her first book Relactation was published at the start of 2020. Lucy runs a thriving private practice on the South Coast. When not working or volunteering, Lucy can often be found on the local beach with her 2 boys, or drinking too much coffee. Close
Gina Weissman
Speaker on May 12th, 2022
Short Bio
DMD, RN, IBCLC, FABM - ISRAEL
Dr. Gina Weissman is a D.M.D. dentist, RN nurse, IBCLC and FABM. She teaches courses in human lactation for both medical professionals and future lactation consultants. She is a sought out international speaker and an expert on many topics among them diagnosing and treating tongue and lip tie, and communication skills. Close
Zainab Yate
Speaker on May 13th, 2022
Short Bio
BSc, MSc, CCHT - UNITED KINGDOM
Zainab Yate BSc, MSc (Medical Ethics & Law, Imperial College London, UK) is a biomedical ethicist, independent researcher and campaigner. She published the first peer-reviewed study looking specifically at breastfeeding aversion and agitation in 2017. Zainab is the leading international specialist in Aversion and has recently published the only book on the topic with specialist publishers Pinter & Martin, London. Zainab has been a breastfeeding peer supporter with the NHS for a number of years and is the owner of the only resource website for mothers and healthcare practitioners on aversion (www.breastfeedingaversion.com), where she researches and writes about aversion and why it arises. Zainab has helped thousands of women and families when breastfeeding triggers negative emotions, both Aversion and Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex, through her free structured support course and peer-to-peer support group online. With a working background in public health and commissioning within the National Health Service (NHS), Zainab is currently vice-chair and named qualitative lead of the North London Research Ethics Committee, with the Health Research Authority (HRA) in the UK. Zainab is also a member of the King's College London Research Ethics, Governance Policy & Integrity Committee (KCL). In both roles, Zainab is a breastfeeding advocate and infant feeding research ethics expert for the committees. Close
Irena Zakarija-Grković
Speaker on May 14th, 2022
Short Bio
MD, FRACGP, IBCLC, PhD, FABM - CROATIA
After moving from Australia to Croatia with her husband and three children, Irena took up a full time post at the University of Split School of Medicine where she teaches family medicine, clinical skills, evidence-based medicine and breastfeeding medicine. Since 2012, she has been serving as Co-Director of Cochrane Croatia, and also completed two terms on the Cochrane Geographic Group Directors’ Executive. Dr. Zakarija-Grković is founding and active member of the National Breastfeeding Committee in Croatia; Vice-president of the Croatian Association of Lactation Consultants, World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative Coordinator for Croatia and Europe, ILCA Board member, volunteer antenatal breastfeeding course provider, Director of the Croatian 90-hour breastfeeding course and a practicing breastfeeding specialist. Close