University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus · Biomedical EngineeringOvarian Cancer Metastasis Lab
Nadine Hempel · Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Research Focus
Dr. Nadine Hempel's lab focuses on understanding ovarian cancer, particularly how cancer cells respond to losing contact with their surroundings and how this affects their ability to spread (metastasize). They study a specific protein, RHOV, which plays a critical role in these processes and could be a target for new treatments. By identifying key genes and their signaling pathways, the lab aims to develop precision medicine strategies to improve survival rates for ovarian cancer patients.
ovarian cancermetastasisdetachment sensingRHOVTGF-beta signalinganoikis resistancefunctional genomicsCRISPRbiomarkersprecision medicine
Research Aims
5AIM 01Identify essential genes involved in the detachment response of ovarian cancer cells.
AIM 02Determine how RHOV influences signaling pathways during metastasis.
AIM 03Evaluate the potential of RHOV and the detachment signature as biomarkers for therapeutic sensitivity.
AIM 04Investigate the mechanisms of endocytic trafficking changes in metastasizing cells.
AIM 05Shift focus from late-stage cancer adaptations to early metastatic events.
Skills the Lab Values
cell culturein vivo modelsCRISPR screenstranscriptomicsimaging techniquesanimal handlingflow cytometryWestern blottingRNA sequencingdata analysis
Output against the department
Publications289top 33% of dept.194th of 595
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations5.1kbottom 39% of dept.361st of 595
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.