Hannah Maul-Newby

I received my BS in biochemistry from Gonzaga University and my PhD in Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology under the guidance of Dr. Melissa Jurica at UC Santa Cruz. In the Jurica lab, I studied RNA splicing, the fundamental process of removing non-coding pieces of RNA from regions which code proteins. My dissertation focused on the characterization of an RNA helicase and its role in early spliceosome assembly. Early spliceosomal proteins are commonly mutated in human diseases such as blood cancers, but until recently, scientists did not have the tools to allow for dissection of the mechanisms involved. I chose to pursue my postdoctoral training in a blood cancer lab to dive deep into the role of splicing factor mutations in myelodysplastic syndromes and leukemia. I seek to apply my expertise in RNA processing biochemistry to blood cancers with the goal to contribute to better understanding and novel therapeutic approaches.