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Ariella Hanker, Ph.D.

Ariella Hanker, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

School
Medical School
Department
Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center | Internal Medicine
Graduate Programs
Cancer Biology, Cell and Molecular Biology
  • Biography

    Dr. Hanker received her B.Sc. in chemistry from the University of Virginia in 2004 and Ph.D. in genetics and molecular biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2009. Her graduate work in the laboratory of Dr. Channing Der focused on strategies to disrupt membrane binding of the small GTPase Rheb, in an effort to block aberrant Rheb/mTOR signaling in cancer. Dr. Hanker pursued postdoctoral training in the laboratory of Dr. Carlos Arteaga at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. During this time, she was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship from the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program and a career development award (K12 award) from the National Cancer Institute. Her postdoctoral studies used transgenic mouse models and human breast cancer xenografts to study mechanisms of resistance to HER2-targeted therapy in HER2+ breast cancer. More recently, Dr. Hanker identified the HER2 T798I gatekeeper mutation as a mechanism of resistance to HER2-targeted therapy in HER2-mutant breast cancer.

    Dr. Hanker's current work is focused on 1) therapeutic targeting of breast cancer-associated alterations, and 2) delineating mechanisms of resistance to breast cancer targeted therapies, including HER2 inhibitors, antiestrogens, PI3K/AKT inhibitors, and CDK4/6 inhibitors.

    Dr. Hanker joined the faculty of UT Southwestern Medical Center in 2018. Her research program is supported by grants from the National Cancer Institute and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

  • Education
    Undergraduate
    University of Virginia - Sfs (2004), Chemistry
    Graduate School
    University of N C-Chapel Hill (2009)
  • Research Interest
    • breast cancer targeted therapy
    • cancer biology
    • cancer genomics
    • drug resistance
    • PI3K pathway
    • precision oncology
    • receptor tyrosine kinases
    • signal transduction
  • Publications

    Star Featured Publications

    Featured Featured Featured Featured Featured Featured Featured Featured Featured
    Evaluating the immunologically "cold" tumor microenvironment after treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors utilizing PET imaging of CD4 + and CD8 + T cells in breast cancer mouse models.
    Lu Y, Houson HA, Gallegos CA, Mascioni A, Jia F, Aivazian A, Song PN, Lynch SE, Napier TS, Mansur A, Larimer BM, Lapi SE, Hanker AB, Sorace AG, Breast Cancer Res 2024 Jun 26 1 104
  • Books

    Featured 

    The Roles of Ras Family Small GTPases in Breast Cancer. In Handbook of Cell Signaling 2ed

    Hanker AB, Der CJ (2009). Cambridge, MA, Academic Press

    Role of R-Ras in Cell Growth. In Handbook of Cell Signaling 2ed

    Repasky GA, Cox AD, Hanker AB, Mitin N, Der CJ (2009). Cambridge, MA, Academic Press

  • Honors & Awards
    • AACR NextGen Star
      (2022)
    • Breast Cancer Research Foundation Award - Abemaciclib Research Program
      (2020-2023)
    • NIH/NCI SPORE in Breast Cancer Career Enhancement Award
      (2016)
    • AACR-Susan G. Komen Scholar-in-Training Award, San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium
      (2014)
    • Vanderbilt Clinical Oncology Research Career Development Award (K12)
      (2014)
    • AACR-Aflac, Inc. Scholar-in-Training Award
      (2013)
    • Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program Postdoctoral Fellowship Award
      (2011)
    • Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program Predoctoral Traineeship Award
      (2006)
    • Highest Distinction, University of Virginia Distinguished Majors Project
      (2004)
  • Professional Associations/Affiliations
    • American Association for Cancer Research (2009)
    • Cancer Biology graduate program (2022)
    • Cell and Molecular Biology graduate program (2022)
    • Experimental Therapeutics Program, Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center (2019)
    • Ipatasertib Project Team, National Cancer Institute Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (NCI CTEP) (2020-2020)