Mary Prahl, MD
Associate Professor
Pediatrics
School of Medicine

Pregnancy and Early Childhood Malaria: Dr. Prahl’s work is aimed at understanding the immunologic consequences of in utero malaria exposure and malaria prevention on the immune system during fetal development and early childhood. Current malaria vaccines have been limited by poor immunogenicity in young children living in malaria endemic areas, and further research is needed to determine the reasons for these poor immune responses to malaria antigens in order to develop new tools to fight the malaria epidemic. This research is based on collaborations with Makerere University/IDRC in Uganda. Dr. Prahl’s work is aimed at evaluating potential contributing mechanisms of immune tolerance resulting from in utero malaria exposure and evaluating the effect of malaria control measures on the developing immune responses. In addition to her translational immunology work, Dr. Prahl aims to encourage and train future medical providers in global health careers.

SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Vaccination in Pregnancy, Lactation, and Early Childhood: Dr. Prahl’s work is aimed to address critical knowledge gaps in the immunologic impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination during pregnancy, lactation, and early childhood. In addition, Dr. Prahl and her colleagues aim to determine mechanisms of transferred maternal-fetal immunity and the impact on protection against SARS-CoV-2 in early childhood.

• Minimal mRNA uptake and inflammatory response to COVID-19 mRNA vaccine exposure in human placental explants.
  medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences 2023 Gonzalez V, Li L, Buarpung S, Prahl M, Robinson JF, Gaw SL
• Milk antibody response after 3rd dose of COVID-19 mRNA vaccine and SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infection and implications for infant protection.
  medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences 2022 Golan Y, Ilala M, Gay C, Hunagund S, Lin CY, Cassidy AG, Jigmeddagva U, Li L, Ozarslan N, Asiodu IV, Ahituv N, Flaherman VJ, Gaw SL, Prahl M
• In Utero Activation of Natural Killer Cells in Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection.
  The Journal of infectious diseases 2022 Vaaben AV, Levan J, Nguyen CBT, Callaway PC, Prahl M, Warrier L, Nankya F, Musinguzi K, Kakuru A, Muhindo MK, Dorsey G, Kamya MR, Feeney ME
• Evaluation of transplacental transfer of mRNA vaccine products and functional antibodies during pregnancy and infancy.
  Nature communications 2022 Prahl M, Golan Y, Cassidy AG, Matsui Y, Li L, Alvarenga B, Chen H, Jigmeddagva U, Lin CY, Gonzalez VJ, Chidboy MA, Warrier L, Buarpung S, Murtha AP, Flaherman VJ, Greene WC, Wu AHB, Lynch KL, Rajan J,…
• Effects of Vaccination Against Influenza, Pertussis, and COVID-19 on Human Milk Antibodies: Current Evidence and Implications for Health Equity.
  Frontiers in immunology 2022 Hunagund S, Golan Y, Asiodu IV, Prahl M, Gaw SL
• Neutralizing antibody activity against SARS-CoV-2 variants in gestational age-matched mother-infant dyads after infection or vaccination.
  JCI insight 2022 Matsui Y, Li L, Prahl M, Cassidy AG, Ozarslan N, Golan Y, Gonzalez VJ, Lin CY, Jigmeddagva U, Chidboy MA, Montano M, Taha TY, Khalid MM, Sreekumar B, Hayashi JM, Chen PY, Kumar GR, Warrier L, Wu AH, …
• Early non-neutralizing, afucosylated antibody responses are associated with COVID-19 severity.
  Science translational medicine 2022 Chakraborty S, Gonzalez JC, Sievers BL, Mallajosyula V, Chakraborty S, Dubey M, Ashraf U, Cheng BY, Kathale N, Tran KQT, Scallan C, Sinnott A, Cassidy A, Chen ST, Gelbart T, Gao F, Golan Y, Ji X, Kim-…
• Antibodies elicited by SARS-CoV-2 infection or mRNA vaccines have reduced neutralizing activity against Beta and Omicron pseudoviruses.
  Science translational medicine 2022 Sievers BL, Chakraborty S, Xue Y, Gelbart T, Gonzalez JC, Cassidy AG, Golan Y, Prahl M, Gaw SL, Arunachalam PS, Blish CA, Boyd SD, Davis MM, Jagannathan P, Nadeau KC, Pulendran B, Singh U, Scheuermann…
• Structurally and functionally distinct early antibody responses predict COVID-19 disease trajectory and mRNA vaccine response.
  bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology 2021 Chakraborty S, Gonzalez JC, Sievers BL, Mallajosyula V, Chakraborty S, Dubey M, Ashraf U, Cheng BY, Kathale N, Tran KQT, Scallan C, Sinnott A, Cassidy A, Chen ST, Gelbart T, Gao F, Golan Y, Ji X, Kim-…
• Evaluation of transplacental transfer of mRNA vaccine products and functional antibodies during pregnancy and early infancy.
  Research square 2021 Prahl M, Golan Y, Cassidy AG, Matsui Y, Li L, Alvarenga B, Chen H, Jigmeddagva U, Lin CY, Gonzalez VJ, Chidboy MA, Warrier L, Buarpung S, Murtha AP, Flaherman VJ, Greene WC, Wu AHB, Lynch KL, Rajan J,…
• Peripheral Plasmodium falciparum Infection in Early Pregnancy Is Associated With Increased Maternal Microchimerism in the Offspring.
  The Journal of infectious diseases 2021 Simon N, Shallat J, Houck J, Jagannathan P, Prahl M, Muhindo MK, Kakuru A, Olwoch P, Feeney ME, Harrington WE
• Evaluation of transplacental transfer of mRNA vaccine products and functional antibodies during pregnancy and early infancy.
  medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences 2021 Prahl M, Golan Y, Cassidy AG, Matsui Y, Li L, Alvarenga B, Chen H, Jigmeddagva U, Lin CY, Gonzalez VJ, Chidboy MA, Warrier L, Buarpung S, Murtha AP, Flaherman VJ, Greene WC, Wu AHB, Lynch KL, Rajan J,…
• COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination in Lactation: Assessment of Adverse Events and Vaccine Related Antibodies in Mother-Infant Dyads.
  Frontiers in immunology 2021 Golan Y, Prahl M, Cassidy AG, Gay C, Wu AHB, Jigmeddagva U, Lin CY, Gonzalez VJ, Basilio E, Chidboy MA, Warrier L, Buarpung S, Li L, Murtha AP, Asiodu IV, Ahituv N, Flaherman VJ, Gaw SL
• Infant Outcomes Following Maternal Infection With Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2): First Report From the Pregnancy Coronavirus Outcomes Registry (PRIORITY) Study.
  Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2021 Flaherman VJ, Afshar Y, Boscardin WJ, Keller RL, H Mardy A, Prahl MK, T Phillips C, Asiodu IV, Berghella V, Chambers BD, Crear-Perry J, Jamieson DJ, Jacoby VL, Gaw SL
• Evaluation of Messenger RNA From COVID-19 BTN162b2 and mRNA-1273 Vaccines in Human Milk.
  JAMA pediatrics 2021 Golan Y, Prahl M, Cassidy A, Lin CY, Ahituv N, Flaherman VJ, Gaw SL
• COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination in Lactation: Assessment of adverse events and vaccine related antibodies in mother-infant dyads.
  medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences 2021 Golan Y, Prahl M, Cassidy AG, Gay C, Wu AHB, Jigmeddagva U, Lin CY, Gonzalez VJ, Basilio E, Warrier L, Buarpung S, Li L, Murtha AP, Asiodu IV, Ahituv N, Flaherman VJ, Gaw SL
• Passive and active immunity in infants born to mothers with SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy: prospective cohort study.
  BMJ open 2021 Song D, Prahl M, Gaw SL, Narasimhan SR, Rai DS, Huang A, Flores CV, Lin CY, Jigmeddagva U, Wu A, Warrier L, Levan J, Nguyen CBT, Callaway P, Farrington L, Acevedo GR, Gonzalez VJ, Vaaben A, Nguyen P, …
• Passive and active immunity in infants born to mothers with SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy: Prospective cohort study.
  medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences 2021 Song D, Prahl M, Gaw SL, Narasimhan S, Rai D, Huang A, Flores C, Lin CY, Jigmeddagva U, Wu AHB, Warrier L, Levan J, Nguyen CBT, Callaway P, Farrington L, Acevedo GR, Gonzalez VJ, Vaaben A, Nguyen P, …
• Exposure to pesticides in utero impacts the fetal immune system and response to vaccination in infancy.
  Nature communications 2021 Prahl M, Odorizzi P, Gingrich D, Muhindo M, McIntyre T, Budker R, Jagannathan P, Farrington L, Nalubega M, Nankya F, Sikyomu E, Musinguzi K, Naluwu K, Auma A, Kakuru A, Kamya MR, Dorsey G, Aweeka F, …
• Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in a Preterm Pregnant Patient With Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
  Obstetrics and gynecology 2020 Blauvelt CA, Chiu C, Donovan AL, Prahl M, Shimotake TK, George RB, Schwartz BS, Farooqi NA, Ali SS, Cassidy A, Gonzalez JM, Gaw SL
• In utero priming of highly functional effector T cell responses to human malaria.
  Science translational medicine 2018 Odorizzi PM, Jagannathan P, McIntyre TI, Budker R, Prahl M, Auma A, Burt TD, Nankya F, Nalubega M, Sikyomu E, Musinguzi K, Naluwu K, Kakuru A, Dorsey G, Kamya MR, Feeney ME
• Dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine for intermittent preventive treatment of malaria during pregnancy and risk of malaria in early childhood: A randomized controlled trial.
  PLoS medicine 2018 Jagannathan P, Kakuru A, Okiring J, Muhindo MK, Natureeba P, Nakalembe M, Opira B, Olwoch P, Nankya F, Ssewanyana I, Tetteh K, Drakeley C, Beeson J, Reiling L, Clark TD, Rodriguez-Barraquer I, …
• Both inflammatory and regulatory cytokine responses to malaria are blunted with increasing age in highly exposed children.
  Malaria journal 2017 Farrington L, Vance H, Rek J, Prahl M, Jagannathan P, Katureebe A, Arinaitwe E, Kamya MR, Dorsey G, Feeney ME
• Sex Disparity in Cord Blood FoxP3+ CD4 T Regulatory Cells in Infants Exposed to Malaria In Utero.
  Open forum infectious diseases 2017 Prahl M, Jagannathan P, McIntyre TI, Auma A, Wamala S, Nalubega M, Musinguzi K, Naluwu K, Sikyoma E, Budker R, Odorizzi P, Kakuru A, Havlir DV, Kamya MR, Dorsey G, Feeney ME
• Timing of in utero malaria exposure influences fetal CD4 T cell regulatory versus effector differentiation.
  Malaria journal 2016 Prahl M, Jagannathan P, McIntyre TI, Auma A, Farrington L, Wamala S, Nalubega M, Musinguzi K, Naluwu K, Sikyoma E, Budker R, Vance H, Odorizzi P, Nayebare P, Ategeka J, Kakuru A, Havlir DV, Kamya MR, …
• Another spin.
  Journal of hospital medicine 2016 Prahl M, Dhaliwal G, Shulman ST, Doshi N, Monash B
• Lactobezoar formation in two premature infants receiving medium-chain triglyceride formula.
  Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association 2014 Prahl M, Smetana D, Porta N