Andre Nussenzweig

Dr. Andre Nussenzweig serves as Chief of the Laboratory of Genome Integrity and NIH Distinguished Investigator at the National Cancer Institute's Center for Cancer Research (NCI/CCR), National Institutes of Health. His laboratory pioneers research on DNA damage response mechanisms and their role in cancer prevention through hypothesis-driven therapeutic development.

Dr. Nussenzweig earned his Ph.D. in Physics from Yale University (1989) followed by postdoctoral training in atomic physics under Nobel laureate Dr. Serge Haroche in Paris. He joined NCI as a tenure-track investigator in 1998, received tenure in 2003, and founded the Laboratory of Genome Integrity in 2011.

His research centers on genomic instability as a cancer hallmark, with expertise in DNA damage/repair, chromosome biology, and recombination/replication mechanisms. The lab elucidates how DNA repair proteins function in normal and pathogenic states, particularly in hematological malignancies and chemoresistance of breast/ovarian cancers. Ongoing work develops targeted therapeutic strategies based on DNA repair pathway vulnerabilities.

Analysis of recent publications reveals dominant themes in genome-wide DNA break mapping (END-seq/SAR-seq), replication-coupled repair, and 3D genome organization's role in chromosome fragility. His work bridges molecular biology, cancer genetics, and translational therapeutics with significant clinical implications for microsatellite-unstable cancers.

Major scientific awards include:

• NIH Distinguished Investigator
• European Molecular Biology Organization membership
• US National Academy of Medicine (2019)
• American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2023)
• National Academy of Sciences (2023)
• Bert and Natalie Vallee Award (2025)
• EMGS Prize (2024)
• Basser Global Prize (2021)

Dr. Nussenzweig has mentored over 30 trainees including postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and research assistants, with alumni now leading independent careers across academia and industry. His laboratory receives continuous NIH funding supporting cutting-edge research in DNA repair mechanisms and cancer therapeutics development.

The Laboratory of Genome Integrity (Building 37, Room 1106A) maintains a collaborative team structure comprising associate scientists, staff scientists, research biologists, and postdoctoral fellows. The lab is renowned for developing innovative genomic technologies including END-seq for DNA break mapping and SAR-seq for repair synthesis analysis, with active participation in CCR's scientific community through seminars and collaborative projects.