Immunological Aspects of Preterm Birth

Irina Burd, MD, PhD, is a renowned maternal–fetal medicine and reproductive immunology expert. She is the Sylvan Frieman, M.D. Endowed Professor and Chair of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, leading initiatives in women’s health research, clinical care and education. Her research explores immunology, pregnancy, and fetal development, focusing on placental inflammation and infection and their effects on neonatal and long-term outcomes. With over 170 peer-reviewed publications, her work has been funded by NIH and other organizations, advancing understanding of the maternal–fetal immune interface. A dedicated educator and mentor, she has trained numerous clinicians, clinician-scientists and scientists. Dr. Burd has held leadership roles in prominent organizations, fostering collaboration in women’s health. Her work continues to shape perinatal medicine, aiming to improve outcomes for mothers and children worldwide.

• 1 Preterm labor, preterm birth, and prematurity: Molecular and clinical phenotypesSahar Khoshravesh, Alison DiSciullo, Irina Burd2 Screening, diagnosis, and therapeutic approaches to preterm laborMetehan Imamoglu, Paola Abi Habib, Ozhan M. Turan3 Cellular immunology of preterm labor and birth and its potential utility for biomarker discoveryNardhy Gomez-Lopez, Dustyn Levenson, Seungbaek Lee, Barbara Neshek, Jose Galaz4 Understanding preterm birth: The role of infection and inflammationKristina Adams Waldorf, Celeste Coler5 The role of macrophages in preterm birthYang Liu, Meredith Kelleher, Sudeshna Tripathy, Irina Burd6 T cells, placentation, gestational length and an evolutionary perspective relevant to preterm birthElizabeth A Bonney7 Spontaneous preterm birth: Immunoperinatology perspectiveJun Lei8 Exosomes in reproductive biology and medicineRamkumar Menon, Ananth Kumar Kammala9 Vaginal microbiome and preterm birthJacques Ravel, Anna Maya Powell10 Viral infections and preterm birthVanusa Pousada da Hora, Jiahui Ding, Gil Mor11 Environment and immune interactions in preterm birthFatemeh Biroon, Courtney Townsel12 Placenta: Window into neonatal healthLiza Konnikova, Kerri St Denis, Oluwabunmi Olaloye13 Spontaneous preterm birth: Current therapies and opportunities for the futureSarah Boudova, Moti Gulersen14 Special considerations: Transplant in pregnancyAllison Lankford