Jill Demirci, PhD, RN, IBCLC

(she/her)
Assistant Professor of Health Promotion & Development

Dr. Demirci’s research focuses on diverse aspects of human lactation, with an emphasis on clinical and behavioral interventions to address uptake, duration, and intensity of breastfeeding. She is especially interested in the design and implementation of mHealth breastfeeding support interventions, addressing policy and infrastructure barriers to breastfeeding goal attainment, and the etiology, prevention and treatment of perceived insufficient milk.

She has received NIH, foundation, and institutional funding in the following areas: breastfeeding trajectories and problems among mothers of late preterm infants, complementary and alternative therapies to address perceived insufficient milk, SMS- and telelactation-based breastfeeding support, breastfeeding support and practices in child care centers, and antenatal milk expression among mothers of healthy and surgical infants. Dr. Demirci has methodological expertise in qualitative methods and behavioral intervention research/RCTs with childbearing women.

Education & Training
Postdoctoral, University of Pittsburgh, 2016
PhD, University of Pittsburgh, 2012
MSN, University of Pittsburgh, 2010
BSN, University of Pittsburgh, 2005
Representative Publications

Whipps MDM, Yoshikawa H, Demirci, JR.(2018). Latent trajectories of infant breastmilk consumption in the United States. Maternal & Child Nutrition. E-published ahead of print, e12655.

Ray KN, Demirci JR, Uscher-Pines L, Bogen DL.(2018). Geographic access to International Board Certified Lactation Consultants in Pennsylvania. Journal of Human Lactation. E-published ahead of print. PMID: 29969344 DOI: 10.1177/0890334418768458

Demirci JR, Schmella M, Glasser M, Bodnar, L, Himes K. (2018). Delayed lactogenesis IIand potential utility of antenatal milk expression in women developing late-onset preeclampsia: acase series. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 18(1):68. PMCID: PMC5855986

Demirci JR, Caplan E, Brozanski B, Bogen D. (2018). Winging it: maternal perspectives and experiences of breastfeeding newborns with complex congenital surgical anomalies. Journal of Perinatolog, 38(6):708-717.PMCID: PMC6030460

Demirci JR, CaplanE, Murray N, Cohen S. (2018). I just want to do everything right: Primiparous women’s accounts of early breastfeeding via an app-based diary. Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 32(2):163-172.PMCID: PMC581830