Sari Hannila, BSc, PhD

Research summary

Dr. Sari Hannila’s research program focuses on a protein called secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) and its effects in the brain. Her postdoctoral research was the first to show that SLPI can promote axonal regeneration after CNS injury by regulating the expression of Smad2, and her laboratory has investigated whether SLPI can also regulate the expression of genes that are mutated in neurodegenerative diseases such as familial Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia. Her group has also conducted morphological studies using SLPI knockout mice to determine if SLPI plays a role in neural development.

Research themes

• Neuroscience and neurobiology
• Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) – roles in gene expression and neurodegenerative diseases
• Spinal cord injury and axonal regeneration – roles of myelin-associated inhibitors

Dr. Hannila is originally from Sudbury, Ontario. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Life Sciences from Queen’s University in 1999 followed by a PhD in Anatomy and Cell Biology at Queen’s under the supervision of Dr. Michael Kawaja.

Prior to joining UM in 2010, Dr. Hannila worked as a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Marie T. Filbin at Hunter College in New York City.

She is currently an associate professor of human anatomy and cell science at UM and the deputy director of the Interdisciplinary Health Program, which administers the Bachelor of Health Sciences and Bachelor of Health Studies undergraduate programs. Dr. Hannila also serves as the neuroanatomy section head for the Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, teaching human neuroanatomy and gross anatomy in health professional programs across the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences. 

She is a distinguished educator who has received eight teaching awards from the Manitoba Medical Students' Association. From 2014-2023, she served as director of outreach for the Manitoba Neuroscience Network and in 2017, she was nominated for CBC Manitoba’s Future 40 in recognition of her outreach activities.

Her work has been published in journals such as the Neuroscientist, Experimental Neurology, the Journal of Biological Chemistry and the Journal of Neuroscience.

Her research has been funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Canadian Paraplegic Association, and the Wings for Life Spinal Cord Research Foundation (Austria).

Education

Postdoctoral fellow, Hunter College, City University of New York (2010)

PhD (Anatomy and Cell Biology), Queen’s University (2004)

Bachelor of science (Honours, Life Sciences), Queen’s University (1999)

Awards

Manitoba Medical Students' Association Award for Best Small Group Teaching (2014-2015, 2015-2016, 2019-2020, 2020-2021, 2021-2022 and 2022-23 academic years)

Manitoba Medical Students’ Association Award for Mentorship (2020-2021 academic year)

University of Manitoba Merit Award for Teaching (2022)

University of Manitoba Merit Award for Service (2017)

Canadian Association for Neuroscience Advocacy and Outreach Award for Best Canadian SFN Chapter – awarded to the Manitoba Neuroscience Network (2017)

Manitoba Medical Students' Association Award for Inspiration (2012-2013 academic year)