Michael Pitino

At a Glance

• Dr. Pitino’s work focuses broadly on improving the quality, safety, and clinical effectiveness of donor human milk for vulnerable infants. His research at the intersection of food science and nutrition examines how processing methods, milk nutrients, and bioactive proteins influence infant health outcomes, with the goal of advancing evidence‑based human milk banking practices.
• He is committed to expanding equitable access to high‑quality donor human milk across Ontario and Atlantic Canada, while strengthening breastfeeding supports for families. His applied and translational research advances human milk banking systems, enhances the health benefits of donor milk, and improves nutritional care for the most vulnerable newborns.

About Dr. Michael Pitino

Dr. Michael Pitino is Director of the Rogers Hixon Ontario Human Milk Bank at Sinai Health and an Assistant Professor (status‑only) in the Department of Nutritional Sciences, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. His research focuses on improving donor human milk processing, composition, and nutritional quality to better support vulnerable preterm infants.

Dr. Pitino completed his MSc and PhD in Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto, where he evaluated novel processing methods for donor milk, including a preclinical assessment of high‑pressure processing as an alternative to traditional pasteurization. He subsequently completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Oregon State University (Corvallis, Oregon), specializing in human milk proteomics and peptidomics.

At the Ontario Human Milk Bank, Dr. Pitino leads the clinical program delivering safe, pasteurized donor milk to 52 hospitals across Ontario and Atlantic Canada, and advances translational research aimed at optimizing donor milk quality and clinical effectiveness. He is principal investigator of the CIHR‑funded HiPP study (High‑Pressure Processing of Donor Human Milk to Improve Fat Absorption in Preterm Infants), which examines how innovative processing approaches influence nutrient delivery and infant outcomes.

Committed to advancing infant health and equitable access to human milk, Dr. Pitino is working to expand the Milk Bank’s reach across Canada to ensure that all medically vulnerable infants who require donor human milk can receive safe, high‑quality nutrition.