Ai-ris Yonekura Collier

Dr. Ai-ris Yonekura Collier serves as Assistant Professor in Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology at Harvard Medical School and Staff Physician in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC). She concurrently holds a Physician-Scientist position at BIDMC's Center for Virology and Vaccine Research (CVVR) and co-directs the Clinical Trials Unit within CVVR, establishing a critical bridge between maternal-fetal medicine and virology research.

Her academic foundation includes:

• B.S. in Biology (Minor: Chemistry) from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2005)
• M.D. from Harvard Medical School through Harvard-MIT Health Sciences & Technology Program (2011)
• Obstetrics & Gynecology Residency at UCLA (2011-2015)
• Maternal-Fetal Medicine Fellowship at BIDMC (2015-2018)

Dr. Collier's research centers on maternal immune tolerance mechanisms in placental development, with dual investigative tracks: (1) Characterizing cellular immune phenotypes in pregnancy disorders like preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction, and (2) Analyzing infectious disease impacts including Zika virus and SARS-CoV-2. Her translational approach integrates longitudinal biospecimen repositories with clinical observations, emphasizing the inclusion of pregnant populations in vaccine trials. As an educator, she actively mentors trainees and advocates for policy changes in clinical trial design.

Recent publications demonstrate a pronounced focus on viral immunology during the pandemic era, with 7 of 9 recent papers addressing SARS-CoV-2 variants, vaccine responses, and Mpox immunity. These works reveal consistent methodological themes: neutralization assays against emerging variants, analysis of coagulation-inflammation pathways in vaccine complications, and sensitive diagnostic approaches for prior infections. Concurrently, she maintains her foundational research in placental immunology, exemplified by cytokine studies in preeclampsia.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• NIH Loan Repayment Program (2018-2020)
• Mentor Award from ACOG District I (2021)
• Translational Research Hubs Spark Grant Award (2022)
• Rookie of the Year Award at BIDMC (2016)
• Multiple research presentation awards from perinatal societies

As Principal Investigator of the Yonekura Collier Laboratory and Co-Director of the Clinical Trials Unit, she manages substantial grant funding including NIH/NICHD support and institutional translational grants. Her leadership extends to hospital-wide initiatives like the BIDMC COVID-19 Biorepository, while her advocacy focuses on rectifying historical exclusions of pregnant individuals from clinical research. She maintains active collaborations across Harvard's immunology and virology departments.

The Yonekura Collier Laboratory operates within CVVR's collaborative ecosystem, integrating with Dan Barouch's research group and the broader Harvard Medical School community. Her team combines clinical obstetric expertise with advanced immunological techniques to investigate fetal-maternal interface biology, creating a unique interdisciplinary hub for perinatal infectious disease research.