Tayyaba Hasan, Ph.D.


Investigator, Full Prof (M)
Wellman Ctr Faculty M, Mass General Research Institute
Professor of Dermatology
Harvard Medical School
Professor of Health Sciences and Technology
Harvard Medical School
aminolevulinic acid; leishmaniasis; leishmaniasis cutaneous; methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus; mycobacterium tuberculosis; ovarian neoplasms; photoactivatable nanoparticles; photochemotherapy; photodynamic therapy; photosensitizing agents; porphyrins; radiation-sensitizing agents Tayyaba Hasan is a Professor of Dermatology at the Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Harvard Medical School (HMS) and a Professor of Health Sciences and Technology (Harvard-MIT). She was the founding Director of the Office for Research Career Development at Massachusetts General Hospital until 2011.

Dr. Hasan's scientific efforts are focused on photochemistry-based approaches (photodynamic therapy, or PDT) for treatment and diagnosis of disease. The overall strategy is to develop molecular mechanisms and optical imaging-based combination treatment regimens where one treatment arm involves light activation of certain near-infrared-absorbing chemicals. This program identifies various cellular and molecular targets for specific diseases and designs constructs for optimal photochemical treatment effects. The targeting entities include photoactivatable nanoparticles and small molecules.

In cancer, the focus malignancies are ovarian, prostate, pancreas and head and neck cancers. In infections and infectious diseases, efforts are targeted toward developing microbial-enzyme-specific photoactivatable molecules for use in PDT. Target organisms in the infectious diseases are leishmaniasis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
In addition, optimal imaging strategies develop target specific molecular probes for in situ monitoring of cellular processes during treatment such as the up-regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor.
Research lab website Publications
thasan@mgh.harvard.edu
6177266996

Bartlett Building
40 Blossom Street
Boston, MA 02114