Nadine Hempel, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology
Nadine received her PhD in Pharmacology from the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, where she studied the regulation of sulfotransferase enzymes under the mentorship of Drs. Mick McManus and Masahiko Negishi (NIEHS, USA). During her post-doctoral training in the labs of Dr. Gerard Blobe at Duke University, and Dr. Andres Melendez at Albany Medical College, Nadine developed interests in tumor metastasis, focusing on TGF-beta signaling in ovarian cancer, and the role mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and superoxide dismutase SOD2 play during metastasis. Nadine started her independent lab at the SUNY College of Nanoscale Sciences and Engineering with NCI K99/R00 funding, and subsequently moved to the Penn State College of Medicine in 2015. In 2021 her laboratory relocated to the Hillman Cancer Center at the University of Pittsburgh, where she joined the Cancer Biology Program and Women’s Cancer Research Group.
Current Lab Members
Shriya Kamlapurkar
Graduate Student
Shriya is a graduate student in the Interdisciplinary Biomedical Graduate Program at the University of Pittsburgh. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology Engineering from Sinhgad College in Pune, India, and her Master’s from the University of Maryland. Before joining the lab in 2022, she was a technician at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Shriya studies the role of Sox2 as a stress response factor during ovarian cancer metastasis. Publications: PMC11179984; PMC11467262; PMC12277487; PMC12363840
Sarah Al-Saad
Graduate Student
Sarah is a graduate student in the Interdisciplinary Biomedical Graduate Program at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Sarah joined the lab in 2023 under the joint mentorship of Dr. Nadine Hempel and Dr. Adam Straub, where her research project focuses on the role of cytochrome B5 reductase 3 (CYB5R3) in cancer.
Sierra White, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Researcher
Sierra received her Ph.D. from the University of Vermont in 2022, after which she joined the lab to study the role of the mitochondrial fission protein Drp1 and extracellular antioxidant enzymes in ovarian cancer.
Publications: PMC11179984; PMC11467262; PMC12277487; PMC12363692; PMC12363840
Ya-Yun Cheng, Ph.D.
Post-Doctoral Researcher
Ya-Yun received her Ph.D. from the University of Heidelberg in Germany, and joined the lab in 2022. Her research focuses on understanding the role of the novel CAM MPZL3 in ovarian cancer, and how splice variants of Drp1 influence tumor metabolism. Publications: PMC11179984; PMC11467262; PMC12277487; PMC12363840
Connor Spencer
Undergraduate Researcher
Connor is an undergraduate student at the University of Pittsburgh pursuing a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry. He is interested in exploring the mechanisms and context of ovarian cancer metastasis and survival in anchorage independence under the mentorship of Priscilla Tang & Ya-Yun Cheng. Connor joined the Hempel Lab in 2023.
Krisha Pahwa
Undergraduate Researcher
Krisha joined the lab in 2024 and works closely with Sierra White to study the role of Drp1 splice variants in normal physiology and disease.
Trisha Veloor
Undergraduate Researcher
Trisha is an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh and is working with Sierra on characterizing Drp1 splice variants in tissues. Trisha joined the lab in 2025.
Lab Alum
Amal Taher Elhaw – Ph.D. 2025, graduate student – Biomedical Sciences graduate program – Penn State Hershey College of Medicine. Lab publications: PMC9441472; PMC9121325; PMC11179984; PMC11467262; PMC12130807; PMC12277487; PMC12363840
Priscilla Tang– Ph.D. 2025, graduate student – Biomedical Sciences graduate program – Penn State Hershey College of Medicine. Lab publications: PMC9441472; PMC9121325; PMID: 37545409; PMC10641176; PMC11179984; PMC12579432; PMC12277487; PMC12363840
Ben Yankasky – Research Technician – 2021-2025.
Weihua Pan – Senior Research Scientist – 2021-2025. Lab publications: PMC11467262; PMC9121325
Lance Evans – Undergraduate Researcher – 2024 – 2025. University of Pittsburgh.
Sneha Srinivasan – PSTP Student – 2022 – 2023. University of Pittsburgh.
Zaineb Javed – Ph.D. 2024, graduate student – 2019- 2024. Biomedical Sciences graduate program – Penn State Hershey College of Medicine. Lab publications: PMC9441472; PMC8899553; PMC9121325; PMC11179984; PMC11420855; PMC11467262; PMC12277487; PMC12363840
Addison McLane – Hillman Academy Summer Student – 2023 & 2024.
Caroline Chang, DVM – Master’s degree 2022 – Penn State Laboratory Animal Medicine Residency Program, Lab publications: PMC7464599; PMC11179984
Ivanna Dudalla – Undergraduate Researcher – 2021 – 2022. University of Pittsburgh.
Donise Griffin – Hillman Academy Summer Student – 2022.
Sara Shimko – technician – 2015-2021. Lab publications: PMC7036012 ; PMC8899553
Beth Worley – Ph.D. 2021, graduate student – Biomedical Sciences graduate program – Penn State Hershey College of Medicine. Position after graduating: Post-Doc at the Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland OR. Lab publications: PMC6859581; PMC7036012; PMC8123547; PMC7464599; PMC8899553; PMC11572934; PMC12277487
Yeon Soo Kim – Ph.D. 2021, graduate student – Biomedical Sciences graduate program – Penn State Hershey College of Medicine. Position after graduating: Post-Doc at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle WA. Lab publications: PMC5745496; PMC6859581; PMC7036012; PMC9121325; PMC11467262; PMC12363840
Piyushi Gupta Vallur, PhD – Post-Doc – 2016-2018, subsequent position: Medical/Scientific Writer Innoscripta. Lab publications: PMC5745496 ; PMC7036012
Dong Hui Sin, Ph.D. – Post Doc – 2013-2017, subsequent position: Research Associate, Departments of Pathology and Dermatology, Stony Brook University. Lab publications: PMC4032324; PMC4615546; PMC4651777; PMC7036012; PMC11467262
Victoria Jones – Masters of Science 2016, graduate student – Biomedical Sciences graduate program – Penn State Hershey College of Medicine. Position after graduating: Medical Student – University of Kentucky. Lab publications: PMC7036012
Sarah Engelberth – Ph.D. 2016, graduate student – SUNY Polytechnic Institute, University at Albany. Position after graduating: Post-Doc at the University of California San Francisco, CA. Lab publications: PMC4183979 ; PMC5385888 ; PMC4651777 ; PMC5396058
LP Madhubhani P Hemachandra, Ph.D. – Post-Doc – 2013 – 2015, subsequent position: Research Associate, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix AZ. Lab publications: PMC4032324 ; PMC4651777
Usawadee “Emmy” Dier – technician – 2011-2015. Lab publications: PMC4032324 ; PMC4486081 ; PMC4615546 ; PMC4651777
Larissa Uusitalo – Masters of Science 2014 – position after graduating: staff at Regeneron. Lab publications: PMC3472707 ; PMC4032324 ; PMC4651777
Hempel Lab 