Diane L. Spatz, the Helen M. Shearer Professor of Nutrition and professor of perinatal nursing in the department of family and community health in Penn Nursing, has been awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN)—the organization’s most prestigious honor.

This esteemed award recognizes an AWHONN member whose contributions to women’s health, obstetric, and neonatal nursing have demonstrated a lasting commitment to excellence. Dr. Spatz will be honored during the AWHONN 2025 Convention from June 21-25 in Orlando, Florida.

Dr. Spatz is a distinguished leader in perinatal and neonatal nursing who continues to make groundbreaking contributions to the field of human milk and breastfeeding research. In the course of dedicating an extensive career to advancing neonatal nutrition and lactation science, Dr. Spatz has served as the principal investigator or co-investigator on over fifty research grants, including several from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She has authored and co-authored more than 265 peer-reviewed publications and more than ten book chapters, shaping the landscape of perinatal care.

“Human milk is a lifesaving medical intervention,” said Dr. Spatz. “Persistent barriers prevent families from making informed feeding choices for human milk feeding and reaching their personal breastfeeding goals. I am so honored to receive this Lifetime Achievement Award from AWHONN. I dedicate this award to all the families I have had the privilege of caring for, the students and nurses I have taught and mentored and learned from. I am proud to be an AWHONN member and to receive this honor.”

A recognized authority in lactation science, Dr. Spatz has developed position statements and evidence-based practices guidelines for AWHONN, the International Lactation Consultant Association, the Society of Pediatric Nurses, and the National Association of Neonatal Nurses. She also has served on the Congressional Task Force for Research Specific to Pregnant and Lactating Women and a World Health Organization Task Force on donor milk and milk banking. Dr. Spatz was also selected to serve on the National Academies of Science Engineering and Medicine Breastfeeding Analysis Study in 2024. Her outstanding contributions to research earned her the prestigious AWHONN Excellence in Research Award and led to her induction as an AWHONN fellow in 2023.

“This is a well-deserved honor for Dr. Spatz,” said Penn Nursing dean Antonia M. Villarruel. “She has been a leader in advancing lactation science, educating families, impacting infant health and the lives of nursing parents, as well as inspiring so many students to take up the mantle of research in human milk and breast-feeding. All of us at Penn Nursing are incredibly proud of her impact.”

In 2004, Dr. Spatz developed the groundbreaking 10-Step Model for Human Milk and Breastfeeding in Vulnerable Infants. Recognized as an Edge Runner by the American Academy of Nursing, this evidence-based model has been implemented worldwide, leading to significant improvements in breastfeeding outcomes for high-risk infants.

Dr. Spatz’s expertise has been sought at the highest levels of policy and global health. She was the only PhD nurse appointed to the Congressional Task Force on Research Specific to Pregnant Women and Lactating Women and has served on the World Health Organization’s Task Force on Donor Milk and Milk Banking.

Continuing her leadership in human milk research, Dr. Spatz currently serves as the treasurer of the International Society for Research in Human Milk and Lactation. Most recently, in 2024, she was selected to serve on the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine Breastfeeding Analysis Study, further cementing her role as a key voice in shaping breastfeeding policy and research.