Dr. Oliver Hankinson's research focuses on the mechanism of carcinogenesis by environmental chemicals and the response of cells to reduced oxygen.

Specifically, Hankinson studies polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (found in cigarette smoke and smog), dioxin (a widespread pollutant) and related compounds. Carcinogenesis by these compounds depends upon their binding to the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) and the subsequent dimerization of AHR with the ARNT protein. He is studying the molecular mechanism of activation of gene transcription by the liganded AHR/ARNT dimer (including the role of coactivator proteins in this process) and is analyzing a number of novel dioxin-inducible genes his group has discovered.

In addition, he studies the roles of AHR and ARNT in animal models of carcinogenesis. ARNT also dimerizes with HIF-1a to form HIF-1 (Hypoxia Inducible Factor), which is the master regulator of the hypoxic response. Hankinson is studying the molecular mechanism of gene activation by HIF-1 and the role of HIF-1 in tumor angiogenesis and growth. Current research projects include analyzing the mechanism of transcriptional activation by the AHR/ARNT and HIF-1a/ARNT dimers, particularly the potential roles of coactivator proteins in these processes; analyzing novel genes that are transcriptionally activated by chemical carcinogens and hypoxia that may therefore be involved in carcinogenesis and/or the growth of tumors; isolating and analyzing genes transcriptionally activated by hypoxia; and determining the role of ARNT in development, response to hypoxia and response to chemical carcinogens, via analysis of ARNT conditional knockout mice.