Edlow Lab: Andrea Edlow, MD, MSc

Principal Investigator

Andrea Edlow, MD, MSc
Andrea Edlow, MD, MSc, is an Associate Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology at Harvard Medical School. She received her B.A. in History from Yale College, a Master’s of Science in Economic and Social History from Oxford University, and her MD from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She completed Obstetrics and Gynecology residency at the Massachusetts General Hospital/Brigham and Women’s Hospital combined program, and a Maternal-Fetal Medicine fellowship at Tufts Medical Center/Tufts University School of Medicine, where she completed her postdoctoral research in the laboratory of Dr. Diana Bianchi. While completing her career development award as part of the Reproductive Scientist Development Program (RSDP, NICHD), Dr. Edlow returned to MGH in 2017 to start her laboratory.

In addition to being a PI in the Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology and working as a Maternal-Fetal Medicine physician at MGH, Dr. Edlow serves as the Vice Chair of Research for the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at MGH. A critical part of both her clinical and scientific work is providing training and mentorship to the next generation of physicians and scientists. Dr. Edlow has mentored 20 trainees, who have gone on to productive careers in academic medicine, science, and the private sector.

Lydia Shook, MD 

Dr. Shook is a Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialist in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, and an Investigator in the Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology. She received her undergraduate and medical degrees from Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, and completed residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Yale-New Haven Hospital. She recently completed the Maternal-Fetal Medicine fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital in 2021, during which time she joined the Edlow lab as a Vincent Research Fellow to explore how maternal exposures and disease states, such as obesity, might affect fetal development through placental inflammation and immune activation. She was awarded the BWH/MGH NICHD WRHR (Women’s Reproductive Health Research) Faculty Career Development Award to support her work with the Edlow Lab investigating the impact of maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy.

Zhaojing (Ariel) Liu – Research Technician II

Ariel Liu graduated from Vanderbilt University in 2023, earning a BA in Biochemistry and Neuroscience. During her undergraduate years, she served as a research assistant at the Vanderbilt Vaccine Center to study HIV-1 immune responses. She contributed to multiple projects focusing on host-pathogen interactions and high-throughput B-cell sequencing. For her senior honors thesis, she investigated the impact of the commensal microbiome on HIV-1 vaccine immunogenicity. Motivated by her academic interest in immunology, Ariel is passionate about gaining further insights into maternal immune responses to viral infections at the Edlow lab. In the future, she hopes to pursue graduate school and continue exploring her interest in the field of immunology. Outside of lab, she enjoys making scented candles and aromatherapy.

Rachel Yinger – Research Technician I

Rachel Yinger is a graduate of Roanoke College, where she earned a BS in Biology and Creative Writing. During her time at RC, she was involved in research and completed an honors thesis project titled: “The Effect of Estrogen on Metabolic Health in Diet-Induced Obesity.” She also worked in a lab setting as a chemistry TA. In addition to research, Rachel has prior clinical experience as a medical scribe, nursing assistant, and EMT. Outside her love for science and medicine, she enjoys literature and the arts. She is a former professional ballet dancer and enjoys teaching ballet and choreographing.

Liv Jasset – Clinical Research Coordinator

Liv completed her undergraduate studies in Neuroscience at Hamilton College in Clinton, NY. While on campus she was involved in research in the Psychology, Neuroscience, and Biology departments studying a range of topics including eating disorders and neuronal migration. In her senior year, she conducted a year-long thesis studying the potential for oxytocin to attenuate drug-induced social avoidance. Now, as a Clinical Research Coordinator, Liv works with Dr. Edlow to investigate the impact of COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy. She hopes that her experiences in the Edlow Lab researching and advocating for women’s health will help shape her future career in medicine.

Caroline Bradford  – Clinical Research Coordinator

Caroline Bradford recently joined the lab as a new CRC. She graduated from Boston College with a BS in Biology and a concentration in Psychology. While in undergrad, she worked in a research lab studying antibiotic resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae and was also involved in a public health club on campus. She is very passionate about maternal health and is so excited to be joining this team. Additionally, in her free time, she really enjoys going to eat at new places and walking around Boston!

Caroline Bald  – Clinical Research Coordinator

Caroline Bald graduated from Boston College with a BS in Biology and a minor in Global Public Health and the Common Good. During her undergraduate experience, Caroline worked on public health research analyzing the neurotoxicity of plastics relating to child and infant brain development and lifelong health. Additionally, she conducted a senior thesis project aimed at generating a Rhodococcus spp. mutant library to establish better methods for aflatoxin degradation. Caroline is very passionate about maternal health and breaking down health barriers for vulnerable populations, and she looks forward to gaining clinical research experience before pursuing a medical career. Outside of the lab, Caroline enjoys playing soccer, painting, and spending time with friends!

Alexa Silfen  – Clinical Research Coordinator

Alexa Silfen graduated from the University of Chicago with a Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences with a specialization in Global Health. Throughout her time at UChicago, Alexa was heavily involved in gastrointestinal research and was a teaching assistant for nutritional biology and metabolism courses. Her research focused on COVID-19 antibody response in patients on immunotherapy and investigating under-represented minorities in IBD clinical trials.

Alexa works with Dr. Edlow as the Ob/Gyn Departmental Clinical Research Coordinator, to facilitate research across the department. Alexa looks forward to enhancing research infrastructure with the Ob/Gyn Department, as well as furthering her passion for a medical career in women’s health. Outside of the lab, Alexa enjoys baking, traveling, and spending time with friends.

Laura Ibanez-Pintor, MD – Postdoctoral Fellow

Laura Ibanez-Pintor, MD, is a postdoctoral research fellow at Dr. Edlow's lab. She earned her MD from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá, Colombia, in 2022 and currently aspires to pursue an OB/GYN residency in the US while advancing her research career. Passionate about women's health, she advocates for their well-being.

During medical school, Laura actively participated in various clinical research studies on the field, including postpartum depression and contraception methods. Prior to joining Dr. Edlow's lab, she was a Research Fellow in Obstetric Anesthesiology at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), where she contributed to projects concerning pre-operative care, postpartum hemorrhage, and pain management with the use of neuraxial techniques/medications for delivery. Through her research, she aims to enhance the holistic care provided to women and obstetric patients.

Recognizing the impact of maternal immunity research on fetal outcomes and child development, Laura seeks to refine her research skills at Dr. Edlow's lab to become an integral physician in her field.

Prabhat Upadhyay, MPharm, PhD – Postdoctoral Fellow

Prabhat Upadhyay is joining as a postdoctoral research fellow at Dr. Edlow’s lab where he will focus on translational research using clinical samples. He previously held a postdoctoral fellowship at the esteemed Wellman Center for Photomedicine in the Department of Dermatology at MGH, as well as at Harvard Medical School, where he honed his skills in biomedical research. Before venturing to the U.S., Prabhat served as a Young Scientist at the National Institute of Immunology in New Delhi, India, where he made significant contributions to the area of the gut-brain axis with an Alzheimer’s mouse model. He completed his PhD in Pharmacology at the Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India, in 2018, laying the groundwork for his current research pursuits.

Prabhat's work involves unraveling the role of gut microbiota in the management of brain disorders and muscle mitochondria function using diverse mouse models. With a fervent passion for scientific exploration, he continues to drive forward significant contributions to the fields of molecular pharmacology and immunology.

Bridget O’Connor, BS – Clinical Research Program/Project Manager

Bridget is the Clinical Research Program/Project Manager in Dr. Edlow's lab and the Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology. She earned her undergraduate degree in microbiology with a minor in neuroscience from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Following graduation, she worked for four years at a biotechnology startup specializing in human gut microbiome research. Her achievements during her tenure include facilitating the isolation, characterization, and preparation of one of the most expansive collections of human gut bacteria globally, as well as helping to facilitate a nation-wide outreach program to source human pediatric fecal samples from over half of US States. This work aimed to develop consumer and pharmaceutical products from bacterial strains derived from human samples, targeting areas such as mental health, various forms of pain, and infant and maternal health.

In her current role, Bridget collaborates with Dr. Edlow and departmental colleagues to help develop research processes and infrastructure. Outside of the lab, Bridget loves to garden and paint. She also leads a community group dedicated to the improvement and support of local public spaces.

Laboratory Staff

• Alissa Mitchell
• Stelios Vagios, MD
• LaTina Watson
• Laura Yockey, MD, PhD

Urogynecology Fellows

• Marcus Ortega, MD, MBA
• Youngwu Kim, MD
• Joe Shi, MD
• Vi Duong, MD ‘24

• Edlow AG. Maternal Metabolic Disease and Offspring Neurodevelopment: an Evolving Public Health Crisis. JAMA Network Open. 2021, accepted, in press
• Bordt EA, Shook LL, Atyeo C, Pullen KM, De Guzman RM, Meinsohn MC, Chauvin M, Fischinger S, Yockey LJ, James K, Lima R, Yonker LM, Fasano A, Brigida S, Bebell LM, Roberts DJ, Pépin D, Huh JR, Bilbo SD, Li JZ, Kaimal A, Schust D, Gray KJ, Lauffenburger D, Alter G, Edlow AG. Maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection elicits sexually dimorphic placental immune responses. Science Transl Med. 2021, accepted, in press.
• Shook LL, Fallah PN, Silberman J, Edlow AG. COVID-19 Vaccination in Pregnancy and Lactation: Current Research and Gaps in Understanding. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology. 2021, Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol., 16 September 2021. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2021.735394
• Atyeo C, DeRiso EA, Davis C, Bordt EA, DeGuzman RM, Shook LL, Yonker LM, Fasano A, Akinwunmi B, Lauffenburger DA, Elovitz MA, Gray KJ*, Edlow AG*, Alter G*. COVID-19 mRNA vaccines drive differential Fc-functional profiles in pregnant, lactating, and non-pregnant women. bioRxiv. 2021 Apr 5;. doi: 10.1101/2021.04.04.438404. PubMed PMID: 33851165; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8043455. *indicates co-last authors/equal contributions.
• Roberts DJ*, Edlow AG*, Romero R*, Coyne CB, Ting DT, Hornick JL, Zaki SR, Das Adhikari U, Serghides L, Gaw SL, Metz TD, on behalf of all members of the NIH/NICHD SARS-CoV-2 Placental Infection Workshop. SPECIAL REPORT: A standardized definition of placental infection by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a consensus statement from the National Institutes of Health/Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NIH/NICHD) SARS-CoV-2 placental infection workshop. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2021, published online August 5, 2021. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2021.07.029
• Shook LL, Bordt EA, Meinsohn MC, Pepin D, De Guzman RM, Brigida S, Yockey LJ, James KE, Sullivan MW, Bebell LM, Roberts DJ, Kaimal AJ, Li JZ, Schust D, Gray KJ, Edlow AG.  Placental expression of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 in maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection: are placental defenses mediated by fetal sex? J Infect Dis. 2021, jiab335, https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiab335. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 34293137
• Yonker LM, Gilboa T, Ogata AF, Senussi Y, Lazarovits R, Boribong BP, Bartsch YC, Loiselle M, Noval Rivas M, Porritt RA, Lima R, Davis JP, Farkas EJ, Burns MD, Young N, Mahajan VS, Hajizadeh S, Herrera Lopez XI, Kreuzer J, Morris R, Martinez EE, Han I, Griswold K Jr, Barry NC, Thompson DB, Church G, Edlow AG, Haas W, Pillai S, Arditi M, Alter G, Walt DR, Fasano A. Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children is driven by zonulin-dependent loss of gut mucosal barrier. J Clin Invest. 2021 May 25;. doi: 10.1172/JCI149633. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 34032635.
• Zhou J, Choi S, Liu H, Zhang J, Tian Y, Edlow AG, Ezashi T, Roberts RM, Ma W, Schust DJ. Is SARS-CoV-2 infection a risk factor for early pregnancy loss? ACE2 and TMPRSS2 co-expression and persistent replicative infection in primitive trophoblast. J Infect Dis. 2021, Jul 22;jiab309.  doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiab309. PMID: 34293134.
• Zurcher N, Roberts V, Schabel M, Edlow AG, Hooker J, Lo, J. Imaging Epigenetics of Prenatal THC. ACS Chem Neurosci. 2021 May 5;12(9):1466-1468.  doi: 10.1021/acschemneuro.1c00176.
• Shook LL, Collier AY, Goldfarb IT, Diouf K, Akinwunmi BO, Young N, Brown A, Hacker MR, Kaimal AM, Gray KJ, Edlow AG. Vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2: consider the denominator. Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM. 2021 Apr 28:100386. doi: 10.1016/j.ajogmf.2021.100386. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 33932627; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8081748.
• Roberts DJ, Bebell LM, Edlow AG. SARS-CoV-2 ACE2 and TMPRSS2 Receptor Protein Expression Patterns Throughout Gestation. J Infect Dis. 2021 Apr 21. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiab164. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 33880519; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8083236.
• Kislal SK, Maesner C, Jin W, Edlow AG. Mismatch between obesogenic intrauterine environment and low-fat postnatal diet may confer offspring metabolic advantage. Obes Sci Pract, March, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1002/osp4.501
• Gray KJ, Bordt EA, Atyeo C, Deriso E, Akinwunmi B, Young N, Baez AM, Shook LL, Cvrk D, James K, De Guzman RM, Brigida S, Diouf K, Goldfarb I, Bebell LM, Yonker LM, Fasano A, Rabi SA, Elovitz MA, Alter G, Edlow AG. COVID-19 vaccine response in pregnant and lactating women: a cohort study. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, March 25, 2021. 

• Evan A Bordt, Lydia L Shook, Caroline Atyeo, Krista M Pullen, Rose M De Guzman, Marie-Charlotte Meinsohn, Maeva Chauvin, Stephanie Fischinger, Laura J Yockey, Kaitlyn James, Rosiane Lima, Lael M Yonker, Alessio Fasano, Sara Brigida, Lisa M Bebell, Drucilla J Roberts, David Pepin, Jun R Huh, Staci D Bilbo, Jonathan Z Li, Anjali Kaimal, Danny Schust, Kathryn J Gray, Douglas Lauffenburger, Galit Alter, Andrea G Edlow. Sexually dimorphic placental responses to maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection. Biorxiv. 2021.

• Sheridan, S.D., Thanos, J.M., De Guzman, R.M. McCrea LT, Horng JE, Fu T, Sellgren CM, Perlis RH, Edlow AG. Umbilical cord blood-derived microglia-like cells to model COVID-19 exposure. Transl Psychiatry. 11, 179 (2021). 

• Sheridan SD, Thanos JM, De Guzman RM, McCrea LT, Horng J, Fu T, Sellgren CM, Perlis RH, Edlow AG. Umbilical cord blood derived microglia-like cells to model COVID-19 exposure. Biorxiv. Epub 2020 Oct 7 (under peer review).
• Edlow AG, Li JA, Collier AY, Atyeo C, James KE, Boatin AA, Gray KJ, Bordt EA, Shook LL, Yonker LM, Fasano A, Diouf K, Croul N, Devane S, Yockey LJ, Lima R, Shui J, Matute JD, Lerou PH, Akinwunmi BO, Schmidt A, Feldman J, Hauser BM, Caradonna TM, De la Flor D, D’Avino P, Regan J, Corry H, Coxen K, Fajnzylber J, Pepin D, Seaman, MS, Barouch DH, Walker BD, Yu XG, Kaimal AJ, Roberts DJ, Alter G. Assessment of maternal and neonatal SARS-CoV-2 viral load, transplacental antibody transfer, and placental pathology in pregnancies during the COVID-19 pandemic. JAMA Netw Open. 2020 Dec 1;3(12):e2030455.
• Atyeo C, Pullen KM, Bordt EA, Fischinger S, Burke J, Michell A, Slein MD, Loos C, Shook LL, Boatin AA, Yockey LJ, Pepin D, Meinsohn M, Nguyen NMP, Chauvin M, Roberts DJ, Goldfarb IT, Matute JD, James KE, Yonker LM, Bebell LM, Kaimal AJ, Gray KJ, Lauffenburger D, Edlow AG, Alter G. Compromised SARS-CoV-2-specific placental antibody transfer. Cell. 2020 Dec 23.
• Bartsch YC, Wang C, Zohar T, Fischinger S, Atyeo C, Burke J, Kang J, Edlow AG, Fasano A, Nilles EJ, Woolley AE, Karlson EW, Hopke AR, Irimia D, Fischer ES, Ryan ET, Charles R, Julg BD, Lauffenburger DA, Yonker LM, Alter G. Humoral signatures of protective and pathological SARS-CoV2 infection in children. Nature Medicine. 2020 (in press).
• Yonker LM, Neilan AM, Bartsch Y, Patel AB, Regan J, Arya P, Gootkind E, Park G, Hardcastle M, St John A, Appleman L, Chiu ML, Fialkowski A, De la Flor D, Lima R, Bordt EA, Yockey LJ, D’Avino P, Fischinger S, Shui JE, Lerou PH, Bonventre JV, Yu XG, Ryan ET, Bassett IV, Irimia D, Edlow AG, Alter G, Li JZ, Fasano A. Pediatric Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2): clinical presentation, infectivity, and immune responses. J Pediatr. 2020 Dec; 227:45-52.
• Soffer MD, Shook LL, James K, Sawyer MR, Ciaranello A, Mahrouk R, Bernstein SN, Boatin AA, Edlow AG, York-Best C, Kaimal AJ, Goldfarb IT. Protocol-driven intensive outpatient management of pregnant patients with symptomatic COVID-19. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2020 Nov;7(11):ofaa524.
• Goldfarb IT, Clapp MA, Soffer MD, Shook LL, Rushfirth K, Edlow AG, Boatin AA, Kaimal AJ, Barth WH Jr, Bryant AS. Prevalence and severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) illness in symptomatic pregnant and postpartum women stratified by Hispanic ethnicity. Obstet Gynecol. 2020 Aug;136(2):300–302. Epub 2020 Jun 02.
• Shook L, Shui JE, MD, Boatin AA, Devane S, Natalie Croul N, Yonker LM, Matute JD, Lima RS, Schwinn M, Cvrk D, Gardner L, Azevedo R, Stanton S, Bordt EA, Yockey LJ, Fasano A, Li JZ, Yu XG, Kaimal AJ, Lerou PH, Edlow AG. Rapid establishment of a COVID-19 perinatal biorepository: early lessons from the first 100 women enrolled. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2020 Aug 26;20(1)215.
• Goldfarb IT, Clapp MA, Soffer MD, Shook LL, Rushfirth K, Edlow AG, Boatin AA, Kaimal AJ, Barth WH Jr, Bryant AS. Prevalence and severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) illness in symptomatic pregnant and postpartum women stratified by Hispanic ethnicity. Obstet Gynecol. 2020 Aug;136(2):300–302. Epub 2020 Jun 02.
• Edlow AG, Guedj F, Sverdlov D, Pennings JLA, Bianchi DW. Significant Effects of Maternal Diet During Pregnancy on the Murine Fetal Brain Transcriptome and Offspring Behavior. Front. Neurosci. 2019; 13(1335).
• Edlow AG, Chen M, Smith NA, Lu CA, McElrath T. Fetal Bisphenol A Exposure: Concentration of Conjugated and Unconjugated Bisphenol A in Amniotic Fluid in the Second and Third Trimesters. Reprod Toxicol. 34(1): 1-7, 2012.
• Edlow AG, Bianchi DW. Tracking Fetal Development Through Molecular Analysis of Maternal Biofluids Biochim Biophys Acta. 1822(12):1970-80, 2012.
• Chen M, Edlow AG, Lin T, Smith NA, McElrath T, Lu CA. Determination of bisphenol-A levels in human amniotic fluid samples by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. J Sep Sci 34(14):1648-55, 2011.
• Hui L, Wick HC, Edlow AG, Cowan JM, Bianchi DW. Global gene expression analysis of term amniotic fluid cell-free RNA: A window into fetal maturation. Obstet Gynecol 121(6):1248-54, 2013.
• Edlow AG, Vora NL, Hui L, Wick HC, Cowan JM, Bianchi DW. Maternal obesity affects fetal neurodevelopmental and metabolic gene expression: a pilot study. PLoS One. 9(2):e88661, 2014.
• Noto K, Majidi S, Edlow AG, Bianchi DW, Slonim D. CSAX: Characterizing Systematic Anomalies in eXpression Data. J Comput Biol 22(5):402-13, 2015.
• Edlow AG, Slonim DK, Wick HC, Hui L, Bianchi DW. The Pathway Not Taken: Understanding 'Omics Data in the Perinatal Context. Am J Obstet Gynecol 213(1):59.e1-172, 2015.
• Neri C, Edlow AG. Effects of Maternal Obesity on Fetal Programming: Molecular Approaches. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med, 2015 Sep 3;6. pii: a026591.
• Edlow AG, Hui L, Wick HC, Fried I, Bianchi DW. Assessing the fetal effects of maternal obesity via transcriptomic analysis of cord blood: a prospective case-control study. BJOG 123(2): 180-189, 2016.
• Edlow AG, Guedj F, Pennings JLA, Sverdlov D, Neri C, Bianchi DW. Males are from Mars, females are from Venus: sex-specific fetal brain gene expression signatures in a mouse model of maternal diet-induced obesity. Am J Obstet Gynecol 214(5):623.e1-623.e10, 2016.
• Edlow AG. Maternal Obesity and Neurodevelopmental and Psychiatric Disorders in Offspring. Prenatal Diagnosis, 37(1):95-110, 2017. PMC5572633.
• Mhatre M, Adeli S, Norwitz EN, Craigo S, Phillippe M, Edlow AG. The effect of maternal obesity on placental cell-free DNA release in a mouse model. Reprod Sci 2018, in press.