Hanna Martens, PhD, an assistant professor at UC San Francisco who studies how aging tissues lose their capacity for repair, has been named a Freeman Hrabowski Scholar by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). The designation recognizes 30 early-career scientists nationwide for both research merit and demonstrated commitment to inclusive mentoring, and it comes with substantial long-term funding for her lab.
What the award covers
HHMI's Freeman Hrabowski Scholars program provides five years of support, including full salary, benefits, a research budget, equipment, and professional development focused on leadership and mentoring skills. Scholars may renew for a second five-year term, bringing total potential funding to as much as $8.6 million over ten years. HHMI launched the program in 2023 and has committed $1.2 billion to it overall, with new cohorts planned every two years; the next selection is expected in 2027.
The science behind the recognition
Martens joined UCSF in 2023 after postdoctoral work at the University of Padua in Italy. She is an assistant professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics and a member of the Bakar Aging Research Institute. Her lab focuses on fibroblasts - cells that build and maintain the molecular network surrounding other cells, which allows cells to communicate. Her research indicates that this intercellular communication breaks down as tissue ages, and she is investigating how that disruption affects cell function, tissue regeneration, and immune response. A central open question in her work is whether restoring these cellular signals could help slow certain aspects of aging, though this remains an active area of research rather than an established therapeutic approach.
Mentoring as part of the scientific mission
Because her research spans cell biology, biophysics, genetics, and engineering, Martens has emphasized that varied scientific backgrounds strengthen the work itself. "The most exciting discoveries often emerge when people with different experiences, perspectives, and ways of thinking come together to challenge established ideas," she said, adding that "broadening access to science is not just about creating opportunities for individuals; it is fundamental to advancing scientific discovery." She describes her mentoring approach as going beyond technical training, aiming instead to help early-career researchers build confidence and develop as independent scientific thinkers.
Context at UCSF
Martens joins two other UCSF faculty members, Walter Gonzalez, PhD, and Angela Phillips, PhD, who were named to the program's inaugural 2023 cohort of 31 scholars. The award itself honors Freeman Hrabowski III, who led the University of Maryland, Baltimore County from 1992 to 2022 and received UCSF's highest honor, the UCSF Medal, in 2020 for his efforts to draw more underrepresented students into science and mathematics fields.