Researcher biography
Dr Amy Hanna's research expertise includes functional characterization of skeletal and cardiac muscle, and investigation of the mechanisms underlying muscle function in health and disease. Amy is a Research Fellow in the laboratory of Assoc Prof Nathan Palpant at the University of Queensland's Institute for Molecular Bioscience. Amy obtained her PhD in 2014 at the John Curtin School of Medical Research under the supervision of Assoc Prof Nicole Beard and Professor Angela Dulhunty, investigating mechanisms of anthracycline-mediated cardiotoxicity using a combination of electrophysiology and calcium imaging in isolated cardiomyocytes. In 2014 Amy was awarded the Frank Fenner medal for most outstanding PhD thesis at JCSMR. Following completion of her PhD, Amy relocated to the United States to complete postdoctoral studies with Professor Susan Hamilton at Baylor College of Medicine. At BCM, Amy developed a strong interest in muscle diseases linked to calcium mishandling and protein quality control, including congenital myopathy and dilated cardiomyopathy. Amy has been an invited speaker at national and international conferences, and was co-chair of the 2019 Gordon Research Seminar of Muscle EC Coupling. Amy is currently funded by the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the Australian Functional Genomics Network.
Book Chapter
Hanna, A.D., Sharp, L.J. and Hamilton, S.L. (2016). Ryanodine Receptor Channelopathies in Skeletal and Cardiac Muscle. Ion Channels in Health and Disease. (pp. 53-84) London, United Kingdom: Academic Press. doi: 10.1016/b978-0-12-802002-9.00003-0
Journal Articles
Hanna, Amy D., Chang, Ting, Ho, Kevin S., Yee, Rachel Sue Zhen, Walker, William Cameron, Agha, Nadia, Hsu, Chih-Wei, Jung, Sung Yun, Dickinson, Mary E., Samee, Md. Abul Hassan, Ward, Christopher S., Lee, Chang Seok, Rodney, George G. and Hamilton, Susan L. (2025). Mechanisms underlying dilated cardiomyopathy associated with FKBP12 deficiency. Journal of General Physiology, 157 (1) e202413583, 1-23. doi: 10.1085/jgp.202413583
Redd, Meredith A, Yoshikawa, Yusuke, Khan, Nemat, Waqar, Maleeha, Saez, Natalie J, Outhwaite, Jennifer E, Russell, Jake S, Hanna, Amy D, Chiu, Han S, Er, Sing Yan, Butcher, Neville J, Mardon, Karine, Fraser, John F, Smythe, Mark L, Rash, Lachlan D, Thomas, Walter G, King, Glenn F, Reichelt, Melissa E and Palpant, Nathan J (2024). Acid-sensing ion channel 1a blockade reduces myocardial injury in rodent models of myocardial infarction. European Heart Journal, 45 (17), 1571-1574. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehad793
Lee, Chang Seok, Jung, Sung Yun, Yee, Rachel Sue Zhen, Agha, Nadia H., Hong, Jin, Chang, Ting, Babcock, Lyle W., Fleischman, Jorie D., Clayton, Benjamin, Hanna, Amy D., Ward, Christopher S., Lanza, Denise, Hurley, Ayrea E., Zhang, Pumin, Wehrens, Xander H. T., Lagor, William R., Rodney, George G. and Hamilton, Susan L. (2023). Speg interactions that regulate the stability of excitation-contraction coupling protein complexes in triads and dyads. Communications Biology, 6 (1) 942, 1-19. doi: 10.1038/s42003-023-05330-y
Bojko, Barbara, Vasiljevic, Tijana, Boyaci, Ezel, Roszkowska, Anna, Kraeva, Natalia, Ibarra Moreno, Carlos A, Koivu, Annabel, Wąsowicz, Marcin, Hanna, Amy, Hamilton, Susan, Riazi, Sheila and Pawliszyn, Janusz (2021). Untargeted metabolomics profiling of skeletal muscle samples from malignant hyperthermia susceptible patients. Canadian Journal of Anaesthesia, 68 (6), 761-772. doi: 10.1007/s12630-020-01895-y
Hanna, Amy D., Lee, Chang Seok, Babcock, Lyle, Wang, Hui, Recio, Joseph and Hamilton, Susan L. (2021). Pathological mechanisms of vacuolar aggregate myopathy arising from a Casq1 mutation. The FASEB Journal, 35 (5) e21349, 1-20. doi: 10.1096/fj.202001653RR
Babcock, Lyle W., Hanna, Amy D., Agha, Nadia H. and Hamilton, Susan L. (2020). MyoSight-semi-automated image analysis of skeletal muscle cross sections. Skeletal Muscle, 10 (1) 33, 1-11. doi: 10.1186/s13395-020-00250-5
Wang, Hui J., Lee, Chang Seok, Yee, Rachel Sue Zhen, Groom, Linda, Friedman, Inbar, Babcock, Lyle, Georgiou, Dimitra K., Hong, Jin, Hanna, Amy D., Recio, Joseph, Choi, Jong Min, Chang, Ting, Agha, Nadia H., Romero, Jonathan, Sarkar, Poonam, Voermans, Nicol, Gaber, M. Waleed, Jung, Sung Yun, Baker, Matthew L., Pautler, Robia G., Dirksen, Robert T., Riazi, Sheila and Hamilton, Susan L. (2020). Adaptive thermogenesis enhances the life-threatening response to heat in mice with an Ryr1 mutation. Nature Communications, 11 (1) 5099, 1-20. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-18865-z
Vanden Abeele, Fabien, Lotteau, Sabine, Ducreux, Sylvie, Dubois, Charlotte, Monnier, Nicole, Hanna, Amy, Gkika, Dimitra, Romestaing, Caroline, Noyer, Lucile, Flourakis, Matthieu, Tessier, Nolwenn, Al-Mawla, Ribal, Chouabe, Christophe, Lefai, Etienne, Lunardi, Joël, Hamilton, Susan, Fauré, Julien, Van Coppenolle, Fabien and Prevarskaya, Natalia (2019). TRPV1 variants impair intracellular Ca2+ signaling and may confer susceptibility to malignant hyperthermia. Genetics in Medicine, 21 (2), 441-450. doi: 10.1038/s41436-018-0066-9
Hanna, Amy D., Lam, Alexander, Thekkedam, Chris, Willemse, Hermia, Dulhunty, Angela F. and Beard, Nicole A. (2017). The anthracycline metabolite doxorubicinol abolishes RyR2 sensitivity to physiological changes in luminal Ca2+ through an interaction with calsequestrin. Molecular Pharmacology, 92 (5), 576-587. doi: 10.1124/mol.117.108183
Lee, Chang Seok, Hanna, Amy D., Wang, Hui, Dagnino-Acosta, Adan, Joshi, Aditya D., Knoblauch, Mark, Xia, Yan, Georgiou, Dimitra K., Xu, Jianjun, Long, Cheng, Amano, Hisayuki, Reynolds, Corey, Dong, Keke, Martin, John C., Lagor, William R., Rodney, George G., Sahin, Ergun, Sewry, Caroline and Hamilton, Susan L. (2017). A chemical chaperone improves muscle function in mice with a RyR1 mutation. Nature Communications, 8 (1) 14659, 1-15. doi: 10.1038/ncomms14659
Pedrotti, Simona, Giudice, Jimena, Dagnino-Acosta, Adan, Knoblauch, Mark, Singh, Ravi K, Hanna, Amy, Mo, Qianxing, Hicks, John, Hamilton, Susan and Cooper, Thomas A (2015). The RNA-binding protein Rbfox1 regulates splicing required for skeletal muscle structure and function. Human Molecular Genetics, 24 (8), 2360-74. doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddv003
Lee, Chang Seok, Dagnino-Acosta, Adan, Yarotskyy, Viktor, Hanna, Amy, Lyfenko, Alla, Knoblauch, Mark, Georgiou, Dimitra K, Poché, Ross A, Swank, Michael W, Long, Cheng, Ismailov, Iskander I, Lanner, Johanna, Tran, Ted, Dong, KeKe, Rodney, George G, Dickinson, Mary E, Beeton, Christine, Zhang, Pumin, Dirksen, Robert T and Hamilton, Susan L (2015). Ca2+ permeation and/or binding to CaV1.1 fine-tunes skeletal muscle Ca2+ signaling to sustain muscle function. Skeletal muscle, 5 4, 1-16. doi: 10.1186/s13395-014-0027-1
Hanna, Amy D., Lam, Alex, Thekkedam, Chris, Gallant, Esther M., Beard, Nicole A. and Dulhunty, Angela F. (2014). Cardiac ryanodine receptor activation by a high Ca²⁺ store load is reversed in a reducing cytoplasmic redox environment. Journal of Cell Science, 127 (Pt 20), 4531-4541. doi: 10.1242/jcs.156760
Hanna, Amy D., Lam, Alex, Tham, Steffi, Dulhunty, Angela F. and Beard, Nicole A. (2014). Adverse effects of doxorubicin and its metabolic product on cardiac RyR2 and SERCA2A. Molecular Pharmacology, 86 (4), 438-49. doi: 10.1124/mol.114.093849
Lee, Chang Seok, Georgiou, Dimitra K., Dagnino-Acosta, Adan, Xu, Jianjun, Ismailov, Iskander I., Knoblauch, Mark, Monroe, Tanner O., Ji, RuiRui, Hanna, Amy D., Joshi, Aditya D., Long, Cheng, Oakes, Joshua, Ted Tran, , Corona, Benjamin T., Lorca, Sabina, Ingalls, Christopher P., Narkar, Vihang A., Lanner, Johanna T., Bayle, J. Henri, Durham, William J. and Hamilton, Susan L. (2014). Ligands for FKBP12 increase Ca2+ influx and protein synthesis to improve skeletal muscle function. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 289 (37), 25556-25570. doi: 10.1074/jbc.m114.586289
Dulhunty, Angela F., Beard, Nicole A. and Hanna, Amy D. (2012). Regulation and dysregulation of cardiac ryanodine receptor (RyR2) open probability during diastole in health and disease. Journal of General Physiology, 140 (2), 87-92. doi: 10.1085/jgp.201210862
Dulhunty, Angela F., Wium, Elize, Li, Linwei, Hanna, Amy D., Mirza, Shamaruh, Talukder, Sadik, Ghazali, Nuur A.A. and Beard, Nicole A. (2012). Proteins within the intracellular calcium store determine cardiac RyR channel activity and cardiac output. Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology, 39 (5), 477-84. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1681.2012.05704.x
Hanna, Amy D., Janczura, Marie, Cho, Eric, Dulhunty, Angela F. and Beard, Nicole A. (2011). Multiple actions of the anthracycline daunorubicin on cardiac ryanodine receptors. Molecular Pharmacology, 80 (3), 538-549. doi: 10.1124/mol.111.073478
Wei, Lan, Hanna, Amy D., Beard, Nicole A. and Dulhunty, Angela F. (2009). Unique isoform-specific properties of calsequestrin in the heart and skeletal muscle. Cell Calcium, 45 (5), 474-84. doi: 10.1016/j.ceca.2009.03.006
Conference Paper
Hanna, A., Negi, S., Outhwaite, J., Cheng, T., Tan, C., Chen, J., Fatkin, D., Haas, J. and Palpant, N. (2024). Dissecting the role of Hopx variants in cardiac remodelling and dysfunction. International Clinical Cardiovascular Genetics Conference 2024, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 8-10 May 2024. Chatswood, NSW Australia: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.hlc.2024.04.189
Preprint
Shen, Sophie, Tan, Clarissa, Cao, Yuanzhao, Chow, Chris Siu Yeung, Mizikovsky, Dalia, Reid, Janice, Dingwall, Steve, Prowse, Andrew, Sun, Yuliangzi, Wu, Zhixuan, Negi, Sumedha, Bao, Shaine Chenxin, Sinniah, Enakshi, Shim, Woo Jun, Zhao, Qiongyi, Thorpe, Jordan, Zahabi, Azadeh, Hanna, Amy, Cheng, Trishia, Hill, Adam, Hudson, James, Chong, James J. H. and Palpant, Nathan J. (2026). Protocol-dependent cardiomyocyte states determine disease modelling capacity of human iPSCs. doi: 10.64898/2026.03.29.715135