Maureen R. Hanson

Maureen R. Hanson is the Liberty Hyde Bailey Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics at Cornell University, with affiliations in the graduate Fields of Genetics and Development, Plant Biology, and Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology. Her research spans plant organelle biology and neuroimmune disease mechanisms, particularly focusing on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS).

• Education: B.S. in Biology from Duke University, Ph.D. in Cell and Developmental Biology from Harvard University
• Leadership: Director of Center for Enervating Neuroimmune Disease, former Director of Cornell Plant Science Center

Research interests include:

• Plant organelle gene expression and RNA editing
• Engineering Rubisco and CO₂-concentrating mechanisms
• Neuroimmune disease pathophysiology in ME/CFS through metabolomics, proteomics, and extracellular vesicle analysis

Her recent publications focus on:

• RNA editing mechanisms in chloroplasts
• Extracellular vesicle proteomics in ME/CFS
• Immunometabolic dysfunction in T cells
• Machine learning approaches to disease biomarkers

Honors include election to the National Academy of Sciences (2021) and American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2021), along with multiple plant biology awards.