Hannah Van Ert, G5
MSTP Learning Community: McCowen
MSTP Entry Date: June 11, 2018
PhD Program:
Mentor:
Investigating Ebola virus tropism and entry within placental tissues
The Maury lab is interested in RNA viruses broadly, specifically in mechanisms of entry these viruses utilize. One such mechanism is through the use of phosphatidylserine (PS) receptors on cell surfaces. These PS receptors bind to the phospholipid PS on enveloped virions and allow the virus to gain entry into endosomes where virion-cell fusion occurs and viral genomic information is deposited in cells for reproduction. Much of the work done in our lab has evaluated the role of PS receptors in the pathogenesis of emerging RNA viruses such as Ebola virus (EBOV), SARS-CoV-2, and Zika Virus. My work specifically is evaluating the tropism of EBOV for tissues within the placenta to investigate transplacental transmission of the virus from mother to fetus. Additionally, my work identifies specific PS receptors – and their required location in placental tissues -- which influence transplacental transmission of this virus. As an MSTP student with a clinical interest in obstetrics and gynecology, coupled with the paucity of data surrounding EBOV infection in pregnancy and the maternal immune response, I am interested in integrating the lab’s past work with investigating EBOV in the setting of the placental immune response.
I joined the lab amidst the COVID-19 pandemic when our work was predominantly focused on SARS-CoV-2 research, and have had the privilege of being involved in some of those projects. In our first project I evaluated the role of PS receptors in the TIM and TAM families in the process of virion entry of SARS-CoV-2. The other project was a collaborative effort between DeGowin Blood Bank, Haim lab, and us wherein we characterized the antibodies formed in convalescent plasma from donors during the early COVID-19 pandemic at our institution.
Committees:
2018-2020 - McCowen Leadership
2018-2020 - Medical Students for Choice, Secretary
2019-2020 - Emma Goldman Clinic Committee for Services of Health Outreach and Education
2019-2020 - Student Physician for Human Rights: Executive Board Member
2019-2020 - Leopold Society Executive Board Member
2020-2022 - Medical Students for Choice, Co-President
2020-2021 - MSTP Women's Group (Chair)
2021 - MSTP Mondays Committee
2021 - MSTP Podcast Crew
Awards:
2019 - Lauretta Bender Research Award In Psychiatry - Medical Student Research Day, Sept 20
2021 - Pulvermacher Graduate Student Teaching Award, Department of Microbiology and Immunology University of Iowa
2022 - Carver College of Medicine Trainee Scholar Award
Individual Funding Awards:
11/15/2022 - 08/30/2026
F30 AI 174686 - (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
Determining Tropism and Mechanisms of Ebola Virus Entry in Placental Tissues
Teaching:
2019 Fall - M1 Anatomy Tutor
2021 SUMR - Case-Based Learning (CBL) co-leader for group of SUMR students during two sessions
2021 SUMR - Facilitated two sessions of Clinical Skills Session (patient-provider encounters) to SUMR students
Education:
2015 - BS, Nursing - University of Wisconsin
Publications:
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3259-1912
Bohan D, Van Ert H, Ruggio N, Rogers KJ, Badreddine M, Aguilar Briseño JA, Elliff JM, Rojas Chavez RA, Gao B, Stokowy T, Christakou E, Kursula P, Micklem D, Gausdal G, Haim H, Minna J, Lorens JB, Maury W. Phosphatidylserine receptors enhance SARS-CoV-2 infection. PLoS Pathog. 2021 Nov;17(11):e1009743. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009743. eCollection 2021 Nov. PubMed PMID: 34797899; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8641883.
Van Ert HA, Bohan DW, Rogers K, Fili M, Rojas Chávez RA, Qing E, Han C, Dempewolf S, Hu G, Schwery N, Sevcik K, Ruggio N, Boyt D, Pentella MA, Gallagher T, Jackson JB, Merrill AE, Knudson CM, Brown GD, Maury W, Haim H. Limited Variation between SARS-CoV-2-Infected Individuals in Domain Specificity and Relative Potency of the Antibody Response against the Spike Glycoprotein. Microbiol Spectr. 2022 Jan 26:e0267621. doi: 10.1128/spectrum.02676-21. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35080430.
