Hannah's research interests lie broadly within minority studies, and the modern histories of migration within and to the western world.

Hannah has written and published most extensively on British-Jewish history from the late nineteenth century through to the twenty first century, and on responses to immigrants and refugees arriving in Britain from elsewhere. Her first monograph examined cultural and socio-political representations of Eastern European Jews travelling to and arriving in Britain, arguing that anxiety about migrant Jews expressed itself differently across the different sites associated with migration, such as border zones, ports and points of arrival. More recent work has examined processes of suburbanisation for Jews in Britain, viewed through the prism of race discourse, spatiality and territorialisation. 

Hannah has also conducted research into the reception of other immigrant groups in Britain, and was recently the recipient of grants from both the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Heritage Lottery Fund to research the presence of and response to Belgian refugees and combatants in Cheshire between 1914 – 1919. Hannah was also the lead for a collaborative cross-departmental outreach project ‘A Global History in One City’ which looked to showcase the truly global significance of Chester’s long and rich past. This project comprises a documentary film series (featuring colleagues from across the department), blog posts and a website, and resources for schools. It has been featured on BBC Radio, in the national press and as part of the Chester Heritage Festival.

Hannah is currently co-leading a community partnership project with Chester Cathedral which seeks to support research into the sensitive, colonial-era heritage of the site and its collections. Hannah has a particular interest in processes of decolonisation within heritage sites and spaces, and within education and academia more braodly. In a project which co-joins Hannah's dual interests in Jewish Studies and British colonialism, Hannah is also developing research which explores the points of intersection between Jewish lived experience, Jewish Studies as a discipline, and debates surrounding the 'decolonial agenda'.