Assistant Professor
Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital
At Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital, Dr. Enrico Barrozo's research focuses on uncovering the fundamental principles of host-microbe interactions and early immune development, with an emphasis on how genetic, environmental, and microbial factors shape perinatal and pediatric health. His work has been supported by an NSF postdoctoral fellowship, an NIH Loan Repayment Award in Pediatrics, two R03-equivalent pilot awards from the MIEHR Research Center and GC-CPEH, and a Career Development Award from the ASGCT. These resources have enabled Dr. Barrozo's early-stage investigator lab to pioneer spatial transcriptomics in human and murine placental tissues, defining immune microenvironments in congenital ZIKV models and SARS-CoV-2-infected placentae. Currently, the lab is expanding this approach to investigate how environmental exposures—such as microplastics—interact with developmental pathways to influence health outcomes from birth onward. In parallel, their fetal gene therapy studies utilize CRISPR/Cas9 delivered via lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) to correct severe genetic mutations, such as those causing sickle-cell disease, before birth. This strategy holds promise not only for preventing disease onset and mitigating irreversible organ damage but also for serving as a scalable model for treating other genetic disorders prenatally. Dr. Barrozo's foundation in viral pathogenesis, environmental exposures, and multiomics has defined a unique research niche that aligns with the priorities of NICHD, NIAID, and NIEHS. Through innovative methodologies and cross-disciplinary collaboration, his work aims to advance the understanding of perinatal and pediatric disease mechanisms, driving discoveries with the potential to transform care and outcomes in maternal and child health.
