Maureen Hanson

Maureen Hanson is a Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, leading research at the intersection of immunology and plant molecular biology. Her laboratory, accessible via neuroimmune.cornell.edu, maintains dual investigative tracks with significant translational impact.

Her primary research focus centers on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), where she investigates immune dysregulation through advanced techniques including single-cell transcriptomics, metabolomics, and extracellular vesicle proteomics. Key areas include T cell exhaustion mechanisms, post-exertional malaise biomarkers, autoantibody profiles, and metabolic disruptions following exercise challenge. Complementing this, her plant biology program explores chloroplast RNA editing machinery, photosynthetic efficiency engineering through carboxysome introduction, and synthetic biology applications for crop improvement.

Publication trends since 2023 reveal a pronounced emphasis on ME/CFS pathophysiology, with over 80% of recent work dedicated to immune-metabolic interactions in chronic fatigue, while maintaining foundational contributions to chloroplast biotechnology. This strategic pivot leverages molecular genetics expertise toward urgent clinical needs while preserving technical innovations from plant systems.

Dr. Hanson directs the Neuroimmune Disease Research Group at Cornell, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration between immunologists, bioinformaticians, and plant scientists. Her team employs cutting-edge methodologies including deep learning genome analysis, epigenetic profiling, and synthetic editosome reconstruction to address complex biological questions across both research domains.