Nathaniel Hathaway

Nathaniel Hathaway, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at the Eshelman School of Pharmacy, UNC-Chapel Hill, and a member of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. His research bridges chemical biology and epigenetics to unravel molecular mechanisms governing gene expression, with a focus on chromatin dynamics and heterochromatin formation.

• Education: Undergraduate degree magna cum laude (2001), Michelson-Morley Research Competition winner (2000).

Hathaway's lab pioneers chemical epigenetic modifiers (CEMs) that harness endogenous chromatin machinery via dCas9 targeting to regulate gene expression. His work also involves high-throughput drug discovery for epigenetic inhibitors in cancer and other diseases. Recent publications highlight CRISPR-CEM fusion systems, PROTAC-based PRC2 degradation, and computational models of heterochromatin.

Key awards:

• CBMC Teaching Recognition (2016, 2017)
• IBM Junior Faculty Development Award (2017)
• AACP New Investigator Award (2016)

Hathaway's research integrates protein bioengineering, synthetic chemistry, and mammalian models to address fundamental questions in epigenetic memory and develop translational therapies for cancer.