Natasha Hanners, M.D. - Faculty Profile

Biography

Dr. Hanners is an early career physician-scientist. As a pediatric resident, chief resident, pediatric infectious disease fellow, and now as a faculty member, Dr. Hanners developed and pursued her interest in encephalitis. She is interested in the pathophysiology and immune response to viral central nervous system (CNS) infections. Dr. Hanners’ research involves the investigation of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) for antiviral effects on neurotropic viruses including Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEEV), yellow fever (YFV), West Nile (WNV) and Zika (ZIKV) viruses. She has also pursued her interest in CNS infections by investigating the effects of Zika virus infection on neural progenitor cells.

Dr. Hanners has focused her research career on elucidating the molecular pathogenesis of Flavivirus CNS infections, as well as the innate immune response to such infections. She will also continue her clinical work in Pediatric Infectious Diseases, and have a particular interest in patients with CNS infections.

Education

Medical School: UT Southwestern Medical School (2009)
Residency: UT Southwestern/Children's Medical Center (2012), Pediatrics
Chief Resident: UT Southwestern/Children's Medical Center (2013), Pediatrics
Fellowship: UT Southwestern/Children's Medical Center (2016), Pediatric Infectious Diseases

Research Interest

Flavivirus infections, including Zika virus neurotropism
Neurovirology
Type I Interferon responses
Virus-host interactions

Publications

STT3A-mediated mega protein complex assembly during dengue and Zika virus infection: Liu T, Hanners NW, Tao H, Szabo C, Xu D, Lin W, Schoggins JW, Yan N, Wu J iScience 2025 Jun 28
Challenges and advances in the medical treatment of granulomatous amebic encephalitis: Spottiswoode N, Haston JC, Hanners NW, Gruenberg K, Kim A, DeRisi JL, Wilson MR Therapeutic Advances in Infectious Disease 2024 Jan 11
Gastrointestinal Manifestations Are Associated with Severe COVID-19 in Children: Akkoyun EB, Ashraf B, Hanners N, Kahn J, Most Z Healthcare (Switzerland) 2024 Jan 12
LY6E is a pan-coronavirus restriction factor in the respiratory tract: Mar KB, Wells AI, Caballero Van Dyke MC, Lopez AH, Eitson JL, Fan W, Hanners NW, Evers BM, Shelton JM, Schoggins JW Nature microbiology 2023 Aug 8 1587-1599
Shiftless inhibits flavivirus replication in vitro and is neuroprotective in a mouse model of Zika virus pathogenesis: Hanners NW, Mar KB, Boys IN, Eitson JL, De La Cruz-Rivera PC, Richardson RB, Fan W, Wight-Carter M, Schoggins JW Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2021 Dec 118
SARS-CoV-2 infection associated with hepatitis in an infant with X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency: van Oers NS, Hanners NW, Sue P, Aquino V, Li QZ, Schoggins JW, Wysocki CA Clinical Immunology 2021 Mar 224
LY6E impairs coronavirus fusion and confers immune control of viral disease: Pfaender S, Mar KB, Michailidis E, Kratzel A, Boys IN, V’kovski P, Fan W, Kelly JN, Hirt D, Ebert N, Stalder H, Kleine-Weber H, Hoffmann M, Hoffmann HH, Saeed M, Dijkman R, Steinmann E, Wight-Carter M, McDougal MB, Hanners NW, Pöhlmann S, Gallagher T, Todt D, Zimmer G, Rice CM, Schoggins JW, Thiel V Nature microbiology 2020 Nov 5 1330-1339
Evolving Peri-Anal Mass in 2-Year-Old: Yang A, Hanners NW, Dakil S, Evans AS, Rakheja D, Lee M Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal 2020 Sep 39 873-875
Case 1: Apnea and hypotonia in a i-month-old infant: Hoge M, Thomas JM, Hanners NW, Castro DP, Ali N Pediatrics in Review 2019 Oct 20 e592-e593
A NIK–SIX signalling axis controls inflammation by targeted silencing of non-canonical NF-κB: Liu Z, Mar KB, Hanners NW, Perelman SS, Kanchwala M, Xing C, Schoggins JW, Alto NM Nature 2019 Apr 568 249-253

Honors & Awards

Excellence in Research Award
UT Southwestern and Children's Health Department of Pediatrics (2016)
W.W. Caruth Scholar Fellow Research Award
(2015-2017)
Fellow of the Year Award, Pediatric Residency Program Award
(2013-2014)
Provider of the Month Award
Family-Centered Care Committee, Parkland Hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (2010)
Southwestern Medical Foundation Competitive Scholar Award
(2005-2009)

Professional Associations/Affiliations

American Academy of Pediatrics
Infectious Disease Society of America