Mother Infant Research Institute (MIRI)

Researchers + Staff

The principal investigators and research teams at MIRI have dedicated their basic science, clinical and translational research to studying the lifelong consequences of the intimate and unique biological relationship between mother and baby during pregnancy. Our clinician-researchers’ studies have been funded by organizations such as the March of Dimes, National Institutes of Health and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Perrie O'Tierney-Ginn, PhD
Executive Director, Mother Infant Research
View Dr. O'Tierney-Ginn's Lab >

Patrick Catalano, MD
Principal Investigator, Mother Infant Research Institute
View Dr. Catalano's Lab >

Michael House, MD
Principal Investigator, Mother Infant Research Institute
View Dr. House's Lab > 

Mary Wallingford, PhD
Principal Investigator, Mother Infant Research Institute
View Dr. Wallingford's Lab > 

Elizabeth Yen, MD
Principal Investigator, Mother Infant Research Institute
View Dr. Yen's Lab >

 

Associate PIs

In order to further strengthen the connection between the MIRI and investigators involved in complementary work across Tufts Medicine and Tufts University, MIRI created the role of Associate PI. All Associate PIs have active, funded research programs that synergize with MIRI priorities for improving maternal and child health outcomes, and are actively collaborating with MIRI PIs.

Juan Gnecco, PhD, Asst. Professor, Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University
Emmanuel Pothos, PhD, Assoc. Professor, Immunology, Tufts University School of Medicine
Sebastian Ramos, MD, Maternal Fetal Medicine Physician, Obstetrics and Gynecology
Erika Werner, MD, MS. Physician-in-Chief, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Diana Bianchi, MD 2017Diana W. Bianchi, MD
Founding Executive Director of MIRI, 2010-2016
Current Position: Director, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health
2017 Recipient, J.E. Wallace Sterling Lifetime Achievement Award in Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine
Pubmed >
Dr. Bianchi’s Farewell Lecture at MIRI, 10/28/16 “Lessons Learned: My 23 Years at Tufts” Email MIRI administration to view >

Read a profile of Dr. Bianchi's extraordinary career >

 

 

Jill L. Maron, MD, MPH
Principal Investigator, Mother Infant Research Institute
Executive Director of MIRI, 2016-2021
Current Position: Chief of Pediatrics, Women & Infants Hospital
Oh-Zopfi Endowed Chair of Pediatrics, Brown University School of Medicine
View Dr. Maron's 2019 TEDx, "Secrets I Learned from the Saliva of Newborns"

Pubmed >

 

 

 

 

Neeta Vora, MDNeeta Vora, MD
MIRI Maternal Fetal Medicine-Genetics Fellow, 2010
Current Position: Assistant Professor, Director of Reproductive Genetics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

In 2016, Dr. Vora received a rare perfect score on her NIH K23 application for "A New Era of Genomics for Fetal Diagnosis"

Pubmed >

 

 

 

 

Lisa HuiLisa Hui, MBBS PhD, FRANZCOG CMFM DDU GradCert Clin Epi
MIRI Visiting Maternal Fetal Medicine Research Fellow and University of Sydney PhD candidate, 2010-2012
Current Position: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Melbourne, Sydney, Australia
Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist, Department of Perinatal Medicine
Mercy Hospital for Women, Melbourne  VIC Australia
Honorary research fellow, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne VIC Australia

 

 

 

Faycal Guuedj, PhDFaycal Guedj, PhD
MIRI Research Fellow in Genetics and Neuroscience, 2012-2016
Current Position:  Scientist, National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)