Contact Information
Summary
Hannah grew up in the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, and earned her B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Dickinson College, PA. Her college time was abbreviated due to the pandemic and she graduated a semester early. Nevertheless, Hannah had a successful college experience, conducted meaningful research, and learned many lab skills. Outside the classroom, she spent time on Dickinson's cross-country and track team.
In 2022, Hannah moved to Arlington, VA, to attend George Washington University and pursue her master's degree in molecular biochemistry. During these two years, she explored all that Washington, D.C., has to offer while expanding her knowledge and experience in scientific research.
Research Statement
As part of her bachelor's degree, Hannah studied the effects of pharmacological agents on sea urchin embryos, which involved traveling to Friday Harbor, Washington, to observe these animals in their natural habitat. Her work focused on immunofluorescence staining after treating sea urchin embryos with myosin inhibitors to analyze the cytokinetic ring during cell division.
The focus of Hannah’s master’s degree thesis was the analysis of the antitumorigenic effect of the ARID4B gene in breast cancer. Using in vitro and in vivo methods, she compared the cell growth and tumor growth of control murine breast carcinoma cells to those of their ARID4BKO counterparts. The final part of Hannah's research project involved performing immunohistochemistry on the tumors for immune profiling.
Hannah is the lab manager in the Systemic Autoimmunity Branch, working for Dr. Mariana Kaplan. The lab's research focuses on systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis.
Education
The George Washington University
M.S. in Molecular Biochemistry (2022-2024)
Dickinson College
B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (2018-2022)