Nathan Lanning, Ph.D.

Dr. Nathan Lanning serves as dean of Cornerstone University’s School of Health, Science & Technology, leading with a commitment to Christian worldview integration, academic excellence, and student mentoring. A cellular and molecular biologist, he brings expertise in mitochondrial systems biology, cancer cell metabolism, and cell signaling. His priorities include developing market-ready programs and launching new online undergraduate, graduate, and post-baccalaureate offerings in health, science, and technology.

Dean Lanning holds a Doctor of Philosophy in cellular and molecular biology from the University of Michigan and completed an NIH-funded postdoctoral fellowship at the Van Andel Institute. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Grand Valley State University and has served as a senior research scientist at the Van Andel Institute, faculty fellow at Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine, and tenured faculty member and principal investigator at California State University, Los Angeles. His research has been recognized with multiple awards, including funding from the National Institutes of Health, the National Cancer Institute, and the California State University system. Dean Lanning is also an active member of the American Society for Cell Biology.

In addition to being a CU parent with his wife, Dawn, and father of 6 children, Dean Lanning’s career reflects a bold vision to prepare Christ-centered leaders in science, technology, and health care.

Professional Memberships

• Biology, Editorial Board Member
• Metabolites, Editorial Board Member
• American Society for Cell Biology, Member

Book Publications (Contributing Author)

• Biology. 2025. Raven P, Johnson G, Mason K, Losos J, Duncan T. McGraw Hill. ISBN10:126438043
• Understanding Biology. 2025. Mason K, Duncan T, Losos J. McGraw Hill. ISBN10:1266829210

Selected Research Publications

• Chacon-Barahona JA, Salladay-Perez IA, Lanning NJ. Lung Adenocarcinoma Transcriptomic Analysis Predicts Adenylate Kinase Signatures Contributing to Tumor Progression and Negative Patient Prognosis. Metabolites. 2021 Dec 9;11(12). doi: 10.3390/metabo11120859. PubMed PMID: 34940617; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8705281.
• Lanning NJ, Castle JP, Singh SJ, Leon AN, Tovar EA, Sanghera A, MacKeigan JP, Filipp FV, Graveel CR. Metabolic profiling of triple-negative breast cancer cells reveals metabolic vulnerabilities. Cancer Metab. 2017;5:6. doi: 10.1186/s40170-017-0168-x. eCollection 2017. PubMed PMID: 28852500; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5568171.
• Lanning NJ, Looyenga BD, Kauffman AL, Niemi NM, Sudderth J, DeBerardinis RJ, MacKeigan JP. A mitochondrial RNAi screen defines cellular bioenergetic determinants and identifies an adenylate kinase as a key regulator of ATP levels. Cell Rep. 2014 May 8;7(3):907-17. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2014.03.065. Epub 2014 Apr 24. PubMed PMID: 24767988; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4046887.
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Selected Presentations

• Surveying the Mitochondrial Bionergetic Landscape for New Therapeutic Targets. San Diego State University, San Diego, CA. 2021
• Mapping the Mitochondrial Bioenergetic Landscape. Southern California Systems Biology Conference. University of California, Irvine. Irvine, CA. 2016
• AK4 Loss Supports Glioma Cell Biology through Dual AMPK and mTOR Activation. Mechanisms and Models of Cancer Conference. Salk Institute. La Jolla, CA. 2015
• Defining the Genetic Determinants of Mitochondrial Bioenergetics. Metabolism, Diet, and Disease Conference. Georgetown University. Washington, D.C. 2014