Elizabeth Ann L. Enninga, Ph.D.

Location

SUMMARY

Elizabeth Ann L. Enninga, Ph.D., and the Enninga laboratory redefine how the maternal immune system shapes pregnancy. Dr. Enninga and the team transform fundamental discoveries in maternal-fetal immunology into new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to prevent pregnancy complications. The laboratory investigates how the maternal immune system dynamically adapts to support — and at times disrupt — pregnancy, with a central focus on the immunologic interface between patient and fetus. The team's work spans molecular, cellular and translational studies that redefine how immune regulation governs pregnancy outcomes.

Focus areas

• Immune tolerance breakdown and placental inflammation. Dr. Enninga and her team are especially interested in how breakdowns in maternal-fetal immune tolerance drive placental inflammation and adverse outcomes such as preterm birth, fetal growth restriction and stillbirth. Building on foundational studies of chronic villitis and systemic immune adaptation, the team now integrates advanced approaches. These methods include spatial biology to identify, predict and therapeutically target immune-mediated pregnancy complications.
• Inflammation pathways and early detection of preterm labor. A major focus of Dr. Enninga's current work is the discovery of actionable pathways linking maternal inflammation to parturition. Her research includes efforts to modulate inflammatory signaling — such as DNA-sensing pathways — and to prevent preterm labor. In parallel, the team develops next-generation diagnostic strategies that combine advanced placental imaging, circulating biomarkers and high-resolution molecular profiling to detect pathology earlier in pregnancy.
• Infectious and environmental triggers of placental disease. Dr. Enninga and her team explore how infectious and noninfectious triggers shape placental immune responses. Leveraging metagenomic sequencing and systems immunology, the team interrogates the roles of pathogens and nonself-exposures in driving placental disease. These efforts extend to understanding how emerging infections, such as SARS-CoV-2 and enteroviruses, alter placental immune cell function and fetal development.
• Impact of clinical interventions on maternal and fetal immunity. Dr. Enninga and her team are investigating how clinical interventions — including fetal surgery — reshape maternal and fetal immunity. Their goal is to identify mechanisms that contribute to surgery-associated preterm birth and to develop strategies that improve surgery outcomes.

Significance to patient care

Dr. Enninga and her team use a precision medicine approach to all research projects. They study how immune responses differ by a baby's sex and look at each person's biomarker profile. This helps better predict risk and tailor patient care.

Dr. Enninga's goal is to go beyond simply describing the immune system. The team aims to change how pregnancy complications are diagnosed, prevented and treated. This method will improve short- and long-term outcomes for both patients and children.

Professional highlights

• Editorial board member, Placenta, 2026-present.
• Basil O'Connor Starter Scholar Research Award, March of Dimes, 2023-2025.
• K12 Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health Research scholar, National Institutes of Health, 2020-2023.
• Early Career Investigator Award, Society for Reproductive Investigation, 2022.
• Abbott Nutrition Young Investigator Award, Perinatal Research Society, 2021.