Description of Research Expertise

My laboratory in the Center for Women’s Health and Reproductive Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania focuses on examining the interactions between peri-implantation exposures, such as ART, and early placentation utilizing animal models, in vitro culture systems, and human tissues. Studying early implantation in humans is challenging. Therefore, to address these challenges, my laboratory has partnered with bioengineers and developed an organ-on-a-chip model to study early placentation. Using this 'implantation-on-a-chip' device and primary human cells, we have found that uterine immune cells play a critical role in regulating early trophoblast invasion and spiral artery remodeling and that patients at risk for abnormal placentation may have changes in these immune cell populations. We are currently using this model to further understand the different cells and factors that play a critical role in normal and abnormal placentation.

Selected Publications

Thea N Golden, Sneha Mani, Rebecca L Linn, Rita Leite, Natalie A Trigg, Annette Wilson, Lauren Anton, Monica Mainigi, Colin C Conine, Brett A Kaufman, Jerome F Strauss, Samuel Parry, Rebecca A Simmons: Extracellular vesicles alter trophoblast function in pregnancies complicated by COVID-19 J Extracell Vesicles 2025 : 2025.

Simoni MK, Negatu SG, Park JY, Mani S, Arreguin MC, Amses KR, Huh DD, Mainigi M*, Jurado KA*: Type I interferon exposure of an implantation-on-a-chip device alters invasive extravillous trophoblast function. Cell Rep Med. 6(3):101991 : 2025.

Pollie MP, Peipert B, Kim S, Mainigi MA.: Isolated Inhibin-Producing Granulosa Cell Tumor Causing Primary Amenorrhea: A Case Report. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol ePUB ahead of print : 2025.

Chen X, Tober J, Dominguez M, Tang AT, Bockman J, Yang J, Mani S, Lee CN, Chen M, Thillaikumaran T, Mericko-Ishizuka P, Mainigi M, Speck NA, Kahn ML.: Lineage tracing studies suggest that the placenta is not a de novo source of hematopoietic stem cells. PLoS Biol. 23(1):e3003003 : 2025.

Leigh A Humphries, Jeremy Applebaum, Monica A Mainigi, Caitlin Martin, Divya K Shah: Predicting a successful match among applicants to reproductive endocrinology and infertility fellowship Fertil Steril Epub : 2024.

Sneha Mani, James Garifallou, Se-jeong Kim, Michael K. Simoni, Dan Dongeun Huh, Scott M. Gordon and Monica Mainigi: Uterine macrophages and NK cells exhibit population and gene-level changes after implantation but maintain pro-invasive properties Frontiers in Immunology 15:1364036 : 2024.

Hunter D. Reavis*, Stefan M. Gysler*, Grace B. McKenney, Matthew Knarr, Hannah J. Lusk, Priyanka Rawat, Hannah S. Rendulich, Marilyn Mitchell, Dara S. Berger, Jamie S. Moon, Suyeon Ryu, Monica Mainigi, Marcin P. Iwanicki, Dave S. Hoon, Laura M. Sanchez, Ronny Drapkin: Norepinephrine induces anoikis resistance in high-grade serous ovarian cancer precursor cells JCI Insight 9(5):e170961 : 2024.

Soledad Henríquez, Maria Jose Valdivia, Monica Mainigi, Claudio Villarroel, Luis Velasquez, Jerome F. Strauss III, Luigi Devoto: The role of estrogen metabolites in human ovarian function Steroids 203:109368 : 2024.

Rhon-Calderon EA, Hemphill CN, Vrooman LA, Rosier CL, Lan Y, Ord T, Coutifaris C, Mainigi M, Schultz RM, Bartolomei MS.: Trophectoderm biopsy of blastocysts following IVF and embryo culture increases epigenetic dysregulation in a mouse model Human Reproduction 39(1) : 154-176,2024.

Lee IT, Berger DS, Koelper N, Senapati S, Mainigi M.: Race, ovarian responsiveness, and live birth after in vitro fertilization Fertility and Sterility 120(5) : 1023-1032,2023.

Academic Contact Information

Clinical Practice:
PENN Fertility Care
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
3701 Market Street, 8th Floor

Lab:
421 Curie Blvd BRB II/III Room 1352
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Phone: 215-662-2972
Patient appointments: 800-789-7366