Anne C Hart

Dr. Anne C Hart is a Professor of Neuroscience and Chair of the Neuroscience Department at Brown University. Her research focuses on neurodegenerative diseases (ALS, SMA, FTD, Huntington’s) and sleep mechanisms using C. elegans models. She pioneered modeling neurodegenerative diseases in nematodes and discovered key pathways in SMA and ALS pathogenesis. Hart’s work integrates genetics, molecular biology, and behavior studies. She has held adjunct roles at the University of Rhode Island and serves on editorial boards for PLoS Genetics and Neuroscience.

• Education: PhD in Neuroscience (UCLA, 1992); BS in Biology (Michigan State, 1985)
• Affiliations: Society for Neuroscience, Genetics Society of America, Marine Biological Laboratory

Her lab identified roles for Notch signaling in sleep regulation and endocytic defects in SMA. Recent work highlights genetic modifiers (e.g., neurocalcin delta) and autophagy disruptions in neurodegeneration. Hart has received awards including the Searle Scholar Award and Dean’s Teaching Excellence Award.

• Key Funding: NIH NIGMS, NINDS; SMA Foundation, Muscular Dystrophy Association