Basil G Hanss, PhD

Dr. Hanss is an Associate Professor at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine with appointments in the Departments of Medicine, Structural and Chemical Biology, and Medical Education. He is also Associate Dean in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Most recently, Dr. Hanss was appointed as Director of Educational Programs for the Mount Sinai Institute of Technology. He received a Bachelor’s Degree from Lewis and Clark College where he studied Biology, and a Ph.D. in Physiology from Tulane University. He spent a year at the National Institutes of Health as a Postdoctoral Fellow before joining the faculty at Mt. Sinai as a Research Assistant Professor in 1996. 

Dr. Hanss’s research focuses on discovering the mechanisms by which nucleic acids cross cell membranes. This poorly understood mechanism is important in nucleic acid signaling systems and in the successful deployment of naked DNA or RNA therapeutic technology. In addition, Dr. Hanss's lab focuses on development of technologies derived from his basic science research. Dr. Hanss is involved in classroom teaching and educational administration as well. He has taught medical and graduate students for more than 25 years at several institutions including Tulane University, the MIT/Harvard M.D./Ph.D. training program, and Mt. Sinai School of Medicine.