Overview
Dr. Riley is a board-certified maternal-fetal obstetrician with expertise in high-risk pregnancies, particularly those with infectious disease complications. Dr. Riley’s research focuses on infection and the causes of fever during labor, as well as the utilization of the influenza vaccine in pregnant women.
Highlights
- 1BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology · 2020
- 2American journal of obstetrics & gynecology MFM · 2022
- 3Health affairs scholar · 2025
Publications
Funding
Active
2 grants- Co-IR01DA060499-01A1Universal HCV screening in pregnancy: Examining testing uptake and HCV careNational Institute on Drug Abuse · 2024–2029
- Co-IR01HL120338-07A1Pregnancy as a Window to the Future: Outcomes of Antihypertensive Therapy and Superimposed Preeclampsia in Pregnant Women with Mild Chronic Hypertension (CHAP-Maternal Follow-up Study)National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute · 2021–2026 · via The Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama for the University of Alabama at Birmingham
Clinical research
Active
1 study- PITreatment of single patient infected with toxoplasmosis using Spiramycin â _x000D_ Single IND Request for Spiromycin in Patient with Positive Toxoplasmosis â Patient TSWeill Medical College of Cornell University · OPEN TO ACCRUAL (as of 2025)
News mentions
- Age Does Not Appear to Drive Cardiovascular Risk in PregnancyMay 18, 2026
Underlying cardiovascular risk, rather than older age, drives complications such as venous thromboembolism, cardiomyopathy and heart failure during pregnancy, according to new Weill Cornell Medicine research.
- Dr. Laura Riley to Unify Women’s Health Care Across Weill Cornell in New RoleApril 14, 2026
As executive director for women’s health, a role that complements her position leading obstetrics and gynecology, Dr. Riley will unify, coordinate and drive new paradigms for women’s health care across medical specialties.
- White Coat Ceremony Welcomes Class of 2028August 14, 2024
On Aug. 13, the 106 first-year medical students in Weill Cornell Medical College's Class of 2028 received their short white coats during the annual White Coat Ceremony, officially marking the beginning of their medical education.
- Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Receive NIH Support for Project Addressing Postpartum Maternal Health in Underserved CommunitiesSeptember 6, 2023
As part of a National Institutes of Health initiative to improve maternal health and pregnancy outcomes nationwide, Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian will play a pivotal role as collaborators with Columbia University Irving Medical Center as one of 10 nationwide IMPROVE (Implementing a Maternal Health and Pregnancy Outcomes Vision for Everyone) Maternal Health Research Centers of Excellence.
- Research Shows the Value of COVID-19 Boosters for Those Pregnant, Trying to ConceiveAugust 10, 2023
Pregnant individuals who had a previous COVID-19 infection and received a full course of COVID-19 vaccination and a booster have the strongest immune protection from the disease – and pass that protection along to their unborn babies.
Show 11 more mentions
- 13 Female Physicians Cemented into Weill Cornell Medicine History Thanks to Special Archive ProjectApril 24, 2023
Weill Cornell Medical College student Pauline Flaum-Dunoyer is a natural storyteller and historian.
- Long-Term Immune Response to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccination is Unaffected by PregnancyDecember 13, 2022
The long-term immune response to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination was similar in pregnant individuals compared with non-pregnant individuals of reproductive age.
- Awards and Honors – February 25, 2022February 25, 2022
Awards, honors, prizes and achievements for the month of February.
- New Study Finds That the Best Time for COVID-19 Vaccination During Your Pregnancy May Be NowDecember 28, 2021
COVID-19 vaccination of expectant mothers elicits levels of antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 outer “spike” protein at the time of delivery that don’t vary dramatically with the timing of vaccination during pregnancy and thus don’t justify delaying vaccination, according to a study from researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian.
- Researchers Learn that Pregnant Women Pass Along Protective COVID Antibodies to their BabiesFebruary 22, 2021
Antibodies that guard against COVID-19 can transfer from mothers to babies while in the womb, according to a new study from Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian researcher.
- In Brief: Commentary on COVID-19 Vaccine for Pregnant and Lactating WomenFebruary 12, 2021
The rationale for including pregnant and lactating women in early CDC-guided COVID-19 vaccination efforts in the United States was outlined in an opinion editorial.
- Five Facts About the COVID-19 VaccineJanuary 21, 2021
The COVID-19 vaccine rollout is underway, bringing a sense of hope — as well as many questions about safety and who should get the vaccine. To help answer these questions, NewYork-Presbyterian experts address common concerns about the new Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines and explain why they are safe.
- NewYork-Presbyterian Alexandra Cohen Hospital for Women and Newborns Opens - A New Center for Exceptional, Personalized CareAugust 3, 2020
NewYork-Presbyterian today celebrated the opening of the NewYork-Presbyterian Alexandra Cohen Hospital for Women and Newborns, a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to providing exceptional, individualized care to pregnant women and their newborn babies before, during, and after childbirth—including advanced care for high-risk pregnancies and newborns who require extra support.
- COVID-19: Weill Cornell Medicine Doctors Answer Common Questions About the New DiseaseApril 15, 2020
Our Q&A video series provides information and advice from experts in different areas of medicine
- Four Faculty Members Named Crain’s Notable Women in HealthcareAugust 5, 2019
Four distinguished Weill Cornell Medicine physician-scientists – Drs. Silvia Formenti, Barbara Hempstead, Lisa Newman and Laura Riley – have been selected as Crain’s Notable Women in Healthcare in New York City.
- Breaking the Code: How is a Mother’s Immunity Transferred to Her Baby?June 13, 2019
One of the most successful interventions in reducing infectious disease worldwide, vaccination still has limited effectiveness in protecting one group of patients – newborn infants.
Media highlights
- Hilary Swank Is Having Her Third Child At 52The New York Times · October 16, 2026
- Hilary Swank Pregnant At 52Good Morning America · October 15, 2026
Mentoring
- SHSung-Min HwangPostdoc mentee · 2020–2025
External relationships
Ownership
Brigham and Women's Hospital · UpToDate, Inc.
Advisory/Scientific Board Member
Maven Clinic Co.
Other
Elsevier, BV · Moderna, Inc.