Directory Profile

In 2006 Dr. Bunik completed a two-year primary care research fellowship (T32-HRSA) that included a Master of Science in Public Health. In terms of breastfeeding research, she led a CDC-funded RCT using telephone support and culturally-enhanced scripted guidelines to support breastfeeding in low-income Latinas (Academic Pediatrics) and completed a secondary database study of breastfeeding and enrollment in the Special Supplementation Program for Women, Infant and Children (WIC) Program (Breastfeeding Medicine). She also participated in a qualitative study (R03) that explored the role of curanderos (Latino healers) in issues of overweight. Her qualitative work on combination feeding in Latinas ‘los dos’ was cited in the Surgeon General’s Call to Action on Breastfeeding, January 2011.   

In addition, Dr. Bunik has been active in breastfeeding curriculum development and continues to run the breastfeeding curriculum for pediatrics residents in her home institution as well as the elective for 4th year medical students. She has received excellent feedback on her first book that came out this past October, Breastfeeding Telephone Triage and Advice published by the American Academy of Pediatrics as a helpful resource for physician practices and anyone providing telephone advice for breastfeeding. Currently, it is being distributed to US hospitals as part of the WHO Baby Friendly Health Initiative. She has a strong interest in culturally-sensitive and practical ways to support breastfeeding which would be useful in global health. A pilot evaluation of Mothers' Milk Messaging (MMM), a bilingual texting program, is currently progress. MMM aims at supporting exclusive breastfeeding from the continuum of pregnancy through the postpartum period.