Research & Updates
Areas of Research
Perinatal Immunology
Our lab aims to understand how humoral and cellular immunity is altered during pregnancy. We also study how pregnancy physiology alters the response to pathogens and vaccines, and how to optimize infant immunity through transplacental transfer of antibodies from mother to fetus. We study the maternal immune response to the feto-placental unit using basic science to profile immune responses at the uterus in healthy and complicated pregnancies.
Clinical Obstetrics and Epidemiology
In addition to basic and translational research, our group is dedicated to providing evidence-based and safe maternal care. We utilize clinical data science and epidemiologic approaches to provide updates on current perinatal clinical management, emerging infectious disease, maternal mortality in the United States, and racial and ethnic representation in obstetric research.
Vaccines and Clinical Trials
Our group provided the early evidence for COVID-19 vaccine immunogenicity in pregnancy and provided evidence for potential neonatal immunity from vaccination. In Dr. Collier’s role as Co-Director of the Clinical Trials Unit in the Center for Virology and Vaccine research, our group advocates for inclusion of pregnant individuals in research and for the investigation of new evidence-based therapies for pregnant individuals.
Posters
Efficacy of BuildClinical Compared to Traditional Recruitment Methods for Clinical Research in Difficult to Reach Populations