IDCRC Mentee Profile: Anne-Marie Rick, MD, MPH, PhD

University of Pittsburgh

Anne-Marie Rick, MD, MPH, PhD, is a tenure-stream assistant professor of Pediatrics and Clinical and Translational Science in the Division of General Academic Pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Dr. Rick's research focuses on maternal and infant infectious diseases, with particular interests in vaccines during pregnancy, infant immune protection, and perinatal viral exposures. Her studies combine prospective clinical cohorts, specimen-based immunology, and large electronic health record datasets to better understand how to protect mothers and babies from serious infections.

Dr. Rick is a member of the IDCRC's Mentorship Program cohort. This program provides mentoring and development opportunities for early-career investigators and fellows in clinical and translational infectious diseases research. Learn more about the program here.

Tell us more about your background and what led you to a career in infectious disease research.

I have always been interested in public health and in finding ways to prevent illness before it happens, particularly for mothers and children. During my clinical and research training, and especially through my global health experiences in Guatemala, I became increasingly drawn to the idea that interventions during pregnancy and the postpartum period can affect not just one life, but two. That concept—being able to improve health for both mother and infant through a single strategy—was a major reason I pursued maternal and infant infectious disease research. It continues to motivate my work in prevention, vaccination, and early-life immune protection.

Can you share more about your research and the goals of your work?

My research program focuses on understanding and preventing infectious diseases in mothers and infants, especially through maternal immunization and other early-life prevention strategies. My current research includes examining correlates of influenza protection in breastmilk, real-world protection and safety of maternal RSV vaccination for infants, long-term immunogenicity of maternal RSV vaccination in postpartum women, safety and immunogenicity of a group B streptococcus vaccine in pregnancy, and development of a point-of-care test for perinatal hepatitis C screening. Ultimately, my goal is to generate evidence that can directly inform clinical care and public health strategies to reduce infectious disease burden in early life and improve outcomes for families.

What are you looking forward to most in the IDCRC Mentorship Program?

I am especially looking forward to the opportunity to learn from mentors and peers across the IDCRC network who bring diverse expertise in infectious diseases, clinical trials, immunology, and translational research. Programs like this are incredibly valuable not only for career development, but also for broadening scientific perspective and building collaborations that can shape future research. I am excited for the chance to receive guidance as I continue to grow my research program and think strategically about the next phase of my career.

What do you believe is a strength or example of the importance of the IDCRC?

One of the greatest strengths of the IDCRC is its ability to bring together investigators, sites, and disciplines to address important infectious disease questions at a scale that would be difficult for any one center to achieve alone. That collaborative infrastructure is especially important in infectious diseases, where rapid, coordinated, and rigorous research is essential for answering questions that have immediate clinical and public health relevance. The IDCRC also plays an important role in supporting the development of early-career investigators, which helps strengthen the future of the field.

What do you like to do outside of ID research?

Outside of research, I enjoy spending time with my family and keeping up with my children’s many activities. I love cooking and enjoy the challenge of putting together a crowd-pleasing meal even on a busy weeknight. I am also finally pursuing a lifelong dream of learning piano.