Nicholas Hanne, Ph.D.

Nicholas Hanne, Ph.D., joined Mercer University in 2026. Prior to joining Mercer, he was a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California, San Francisco, studying the role of the biomechanical environment on craniofacial development.

Education

• Ph.D., North Carolina State University
• B.S., California Polytechnic State University

Specialty

Bone, biomechanics, image analysis

Professional Interests

Hanne’s formal education is in biomedical engineering. Before attending graduate school at North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, he worked as a full-stack developer at a startup company in San Francisco. His graduate research aims were to determine the effect of lifestyle disease and exercise on the vasculature within bone tissue and how these changes affect skeletal fragility. As a postdoctoral scholar, he investigated how the interaction between fibroblast growth factor signaling, material properties of the extracellular matrix and cellular activities drive morphogenesis of the upper jaw in the chick embryo.

His favorite parts of research are capturing and analyzing volumetric (3D) images, working with embryos and creating figures.

Hanne primarily teaches physiology. He is interested in teaching students through hands-on practice.

Other Interests

Hanne collects hobbies. His favorites include cooking, throwing pottery, gardening, reading and enjoying music. He loves spending time with his family, friends and cat.

Recent Publications

• Hanne NJ*, Hu D*, Vidal-García M, Allen C, Shakir MB, Wei L, Hallgrímsson B, Marcucio RS (2025) “Downstream branches of receptor tyrosine kinase signaling act interdependently to shape the face.” Developmental Dynamics, 254(8):979-998.
• Hanne NJ, Steward AJ, Geeroms C, Easter ED, Gensch HT, Kerckhofs G, Parac-Vogt TN, Sheng H, Cole JH (2025) “Ischemic stroke reduces bone perfusion and alters osteovascular structure.” Bone Reports. 24:101824.
• Hanne NJ, Easter ED, Cole JH (2019) “Minimally invasive laser Doppler flowmetry is suitable for serial bone perfusion measurements in mice.” Bone Reports, 11:100231.
• Khodjaniyazova S, Hanne NJ, Cole JH, Muddiman DC (2019) “Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) of fresh bones using infrared matrix-assisted laser desorption electrospray ionization (IR-MALDESI).” Analytical Methods, 11(46):5929-5938.
• Hanne NJ, Steward AJ, Sessions MR, Gensch HT, Sheng H, Cole JH (2019) “Stroke prevents exercise-induced gains in bone microstructure but not composition in mice.” Journal of Biomechanical Engineering 141(12):121008

* These authors contributed equally

Contact Nicholas Hanne, Ph.D.

478-301-2708
hanne_nj@mercer.edu
Office: Godsey Science Center, Room 329