Dr. Hanna is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology. His lab studies the basic mechanisms of the proteasome, which is the intracellular molecular machine that destroys proteins. Defects in proteasome function are associated with many diseases, including most neurodegenerative diseases. Conversely, inhibitors of the proteasome are FDA-approved anticancer agents. Dr. Hanna’s lab studies 3 main topics: the chaperone-mediated pathway of proteasome assembly, the regulation of the proteasome by endogenous inhibitors, and the stress responses that control proteasome abundance.
Dr. Hanna is also a practicing pathologist and has a separate investigative program focused on the molecular pathogenesis of skin and soft tissue tumors.