Nadine Hein

Nadine Hein is a Research Fellow at the John Curtin School of Medical Research, part of the Australian National University (ANU), within the Genome Sciences and Cancer Division. Her work focuses on cancer biology, particularly targeting ribosome biogenesis and RNA polymerase I (Pol I) transcription for therapeutic applications. She leads projects on CX-5461, a Pol I inhibitor, demonstrating its efficacy in treating hematologic cancers and solid tumors like multiple myeloma and osteosarcoma. Dr. Hein collaborates extensively with groups such as the Hannan Group (Cancer Therapeutics) and the Schulte Group (Systems Biology of Cancer).

Her research spans nucleolar surveillance pathways, ribosomal DNA dynamics, and epigenetic regulation, with contributions to understanding how Pol I inhibition induces DNA breaks and activates tumor-specific p53 pathways. She has pioneered methodologies in RNA sequencing and nucleolar imaging, advancing real-time analysis of RNA classes and stress-induced cellular changes. Her work bridges basic research and translational medicine, with implications for personalized cancer therapies and biomarker discovery.

Dr. Hein’s projects include analyzing resistance mechanisms to Pol I inhibitors, characterizing rDNA chromatin states as biomarkers, and developing nanopore sequencing adaptations for age-related methylation profiling. Her interdisciplinary collaborations leverage ANU’s resources, including the Shine-Dalgarno Centre for RNA Innovation, to tackle complex diseases like pancreatic adenocarcinoma and Waldenström macroglobulinemia.