He studies the biology of programmed cell death, or apoptosis, the process by which cells commit suicide when diseased or no longer needed. His research focuses on cell-death processes that are defective in many cancer cells, allowing them to grow unchecked. His team explores how cell metabolism — the step-by-step processes cells use to break down nutrients — is used to control programmed cell death in both normal and cancer cells. Cancer cells use a variety of metabolic processes to suppress apoptosis, and Dr. Hockenberry’s team is exploring how these same processes might affect the performance of immune cells in the presence of infectious agents or cancer.