Cynthia Roy Howard, M.D., M.P.H.

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Cynthia Howard is Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry and Pediatric Director of the Mother-Baby unit at Rochester General Hospital.

Dr Howard focuses the majority of her research on infant nutrition, breastfeeding and human lactation. In 2000 she lead the team that helped Rochester General Hospital become a Baby Friendly designated hospital, the only one in New York State. Dr. Howard serves on the Breastfeeding Subcommittee of the NY Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, as a member of the health advisory board of La Leche League International and on the editorial board of Birth and The International Breastfeeding Journal. She is the president of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, co-chairperson of the protocol committee and is the senior associate editor for the journal Breastfeeding Medicine. Locally, Dr. Howard serves on the board of directors for the Perinatal Network of Monroe County.

Dr Howard has served as principal investigator in several research studies on clinical breastfeeding issues, and authored many research papers and book chapters. She is a member of the Society for Pediatric Research and the International Society for Research in Human Milk and Lactation. Her current research includes a clinical study designed to evaluate Vitamin D nutrition during lactation focusing on optimizing health outcomes for mothers and their infants. Additionally, she is an investigator on a community based project funded by the National Institutes of Health focusing on improving breastfeeding initiation and duration in the greater Rochester area through community partnerships.

Specialty

General Pediatrics

Current Appointments

• Associate Professor - Department of Pediatrics (SMD)
• Associate Professor - Department of Community and Preventive Medicine (SMD)