It is with deep sadness we share news of the passing of our friend and former colleague Greg Hannon. A renowned molecular cancer biologist, Greg had an impact and influence on the scientific community that cannot be overstated. As his colleagues at stated, he 鈥渨as a singular force of nature whose influence shaped the research landscape.鈥 His exceptional mentorship and visionary leadership were a testament to his passion for science and making a difference in people鈥檚 lives.
Greg began his scientific career as a postdoctoral fellow and later staff associate in the McClintock laboratory at 黑料吃瓜资源 (CSHL) in 1992. He was promoted to Assistant Professor in 1996 and to full Professor in 2002. He was named a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator in 2005. During his time at CSHL, Greg was one of the most prolific and impactful members of the faculty. In addition to identifying important regulators of the cell division cycle, particularly inhibitors of cyclin-dependent kinases, he discovered many small regulatory RNAs and the proteins that produced them. He conducted important cancer research, most notably in breast cancer. He also pioneered the development of whole-genome libraries of shRNAs and CRISPR guide RNAs for genetic screening in mouse and human cells.
Greg moved to the CRUK Institute in Cambridge, England, in 2014 and was appointed its director in 2018. There, he continued important research on molecular tool development, epigenetic mechanisms of gene regulation, small RNA biology, and cancer. He was also a Fellow of Trinity College at the University of Cambridge.
Greg was a Fellow of the Royal Society, a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, and the 2007 recipient of the Academy鈥檚 prestigious Award in Molecular Biology. He was also a Fellow of the American Association for Cancer Research and received their Outstanding Achievement in Cancer Research award in 2005. In 2007, he received the Paul Marks Prize in Cancer Research from the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. He was named a European Academy of Cancer Sciences Fellow in 2019 and a Fellow of the American Association for Cancer Research Academy in 2020, among many other awards and recognitions.
Greg founded multiple spin-out companies, reflecting both his entrepreneurial spirit and his desire to connect basic biological discoveries with industry and drive meaningful change for patients. He was a remarkable person whose wit and intelligence were augmented by his caring nature and his ability to enjoy life. His passing is a tremendous loss to the science community and his colleagues across the globe, as well as his family, including his wife Clare and four children. He will be deeply missed by those who knew him. His legacy lives on in the scientists whose work he has enabled, the colleagues he has mentored, the patients whose lives he has impacted, and his family and friends.
Arrangements concerning a memorial service have not been announced as Greg鈥檚 family have asked for privacy at this very difficult time. Our deepest condolences go to his family, colleagues, and friends.