Profile Picture
Professional Title
Associate Professor of Pediatric Infectious Diseases
Principal Investigator, Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute
Affiliate Investigator Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Infectious Disease Physician, Seattle Children’s Hospital
Email Address
whitney.harrington@seattlechildrens.org
Areas of Interest
maternal-fetal immunology
infection during pregnancy and infancy
malaria
HIV
Dr. Harrington’s research is focused on maternal-fetal immunology and infection during pregnancy and infancy. In particular, she investigates the role of maternal microchimerism (maternal cells acquired by the fetus during pregnancy and the infant during breastfeeding) in fetal and infant immunity to malaria, HIV, and early vaccination. Her lab has also recently developed projects focused on better understanding luminal T cell populations from the lactating breast and female genital tract.
Education
Dr. Harrington completed her BA in Neurobiology at Harvard University, followed by her PhD in Pathobiology, MD, pediatric residency, and pediatric infectious disease fellowship at University of Washington / Seattle Children’s.