Ngoc Uyen Nhi Nguyen, PhD

Assistant Professor, Internal Medicine/Cardiology, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida

Assistant Professor, Center for Regenerative Medicine, University of South Florida Health Heart Institute

Contact Info

• 560 Channelside Dr., MDD 717
  Tampa FL 33602
• Academic Email: ngocuyennhinguyen@usf.edu
• View My C.V. | View My Website | View My Lab Site

Education

Biography

Dr. Nguyen is a molecular biologist whose research lies at the intersection of cardiac and skeletal muscle regeneration, cancer resistance in striated muscle, and translational therapeutic development. She joined the University of South Florida in 2025 as an Assistant Professor following over a decade of advanced training and research at UT Southwestern Medical Center and UC Davis. Dr. Nguyen focuses on elucidating the molecular and cellular mechanisms that drive regenerative responses in adult striated muscle. Her research aims to restore cardiomyocyte proliferative capacity, promote skeletal muscle repair, and uncover the basis for the inherent resistance of striated muscle to metastatic invasion. Her prior work has identified key regulatory factors—including Meis1, Hoxb13, and calcineurin—that control postnatal cardiomyocyte cell cycle and sarcomere remodeling. She is also a co-inventor on a regenerative therapy currently under patent review and has led several research projects funded by the NIH and the American Heart Association. Dr. Nguyen has a strong record of first- and senior-author publications in leading journals, including Nature, Circulation, Nature Cardiovascular Research, and the Journal of Clinical Investigation, reflecting a strong emphasis on both mechanistic insight and translational potential. In addition to her research, Dr. Nguyen is dedicated to mentoring early-career scientists and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration. She serves on the editorial boards of the European Journal of Medical Research, Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine, and BMC Cardiovascular Disorders, and regularly reviews for funding agencies, including the American Heart Association.

Research Interests

• Cardiac Regeneration, Cardiomyopathy, Limb Regeneration, Translational Therapeutics, Anti-metastasis

Awards/Honors

• Career Development Award (2021-2024) (American Heart Association - 2021)
• UT Southwestern Medical Center Fellowship (Postdoc 2020-2021) (The Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center - 2020)
• Postdoctoral Fellowship (2018-2020) (American Heart Association - 2018)
• UT Southwestern Medical Center Trainee Fellowship (Postdoc 2017-2018) (The Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center - 2017)
• Best Poster Award (The Biology Society Conference-Biodiversity Under Threat Symposium - 2013)
• Ph.D. Pre-doc scholarship (National Cheng Kung University (2011-2015) - 2011)
• Master Scholarship (National Cheng Kung Univestiy (2009-2011) - 2009)
• Distinguished Undergraduate Medical Student Scholarship (Lawrence S.Ting Corp. (2006-2007) - 2006)
• Undergraduate Scholarship (HCMC University of Medicine and Pharmacy (2004-2006) - 2004)
• First place-CSQL of HCMC's Logo Design Competition (Became the official CSQL's logo) (Center for Standardization and Quality Control in Medical Laboratory of Ho Chi Minh City - 2008)

Memberships

• Member (American Heart Association, 2017 - Present)
• Active Member (American Association for Cancer Research, 2025 - Present)
• Member (Ho Chi Minh City Medical Association of Medical Laboratory Technology, 2008 - Present)

Recent Publications

• Nguyen NUN, Canseco DC, Xiao F, Nakada Y, Li S, Lam NT, Muralidhar SA, Savla J, Hill JA, Le V, Zidan K, El-Feky HW, Wang Z, Ahmed MS, Hubbi ME, Menendez-Montes I, Moon J, Ali SR, Le V, Villalobos E, Mohamed MS, Elhelaly WM, Thet S, Anene-Nzelu CG, Tan WLW, Foo RS, Meng X, Kanchwala M, Xing C, Roy J, Cyert MS, Rothermel BA, Sadek HA A Calcineurin-Hoxb13 Axis Regulates The Growth Mode of Mammalian Cardiomyocytes. Nature. 582: 271–276, 2020.
• Lam NT*, Nguyen NUN*, Ahmed MS, Hsu CC, Coronado PER, Li S, Menendez-Montes I, Thet S, Elhelaly WM, Xiao F, Wang X, Williams NS, Canseco DC, Red-Horse K, Rothermel BA, Sadek HA Targeting calcineurin induces cardiomyocyte proliferation in adult mice. Nat Cardiovasc Res. 1: 679–688, 2022.
• Ahmed MS*, Nguyen NUN*, Nakada Y, Hsu CC, Farag A., Lam NT, Wang P., Thet S, Menendez-Montes I, Elhelaly WM, Lou X., Secco I, Tomczyk M, Zentilin L, Pei J, Cui M, Dos Santos M, Liu X, Liu Y, Zaha D, Walcott G, Tomchick D, Xing C, Zhang CC, Grishin NV, Giacca M, Zhang Y, Sadek HA Identification of FDA-Approved Drugs That Induce Heart Regeneration in Mammals. Nat Cardiovasc Res. 3: 372–388, 2024.
• Xiao F*, Nguyen NUN*, Wang P, Li S, Hsu CC, Thet S, Kimura W, Luo X, Lam NT, Menendez-Montes I, Elhelaly W, Cardoso AC, Pereira AHM, Singh R, Sadayappan S, Kanchwala M, Xing C, Ladha FA, Hinson JT, Hajjar RJ, Hill JA, and Sadek HA Adducin Regulates Sarcomere Disassembly During Cardiomyocyte Mitosis. Circulation. 150(10) : 791-805, 2024.
• Nguyen NUN*†, Hsu CC*, Ali SR, Wang HV† Actin-organizing Protein Palladin Modulates C2C12 Cell Fate Determination. Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports. 39, 2024.
• Wang P*, Ahmed MS*, Nguyen NUN*, Menendez-Montes I, Hsu CC, Farag A, Thet S, Lam NT, Wansapura J, Crossley E, Ma N, Zhao SR, Zhang TJ, Morimoto S, Singh R, Elhelaly W, Tassin TC, Cardoso AC, Williams NS, Pointer HL, Elliott DA, McNamara JW, Watt KI, Porrello ER, Sadayappan S, Sadek HA An FDA-approved drug structurally and phenotypically corrects the K210del mutation in genetic cardiomyopathy models J Clin Invest. 135(4) , 2025.
• Ali SR*, Nguyen NUN*, Menendez-Montes I, Hsu CC, Elhelaly W, Lam NT, Li S, Elnwasany A, Nakada Y, Thet S, Foo RSY, Sadek HA Hypoxia-induced stabilization of HIF2A promotes cardiomyocyte proliferation by attenuating DNA damage. J Cardiovasc Aging. 4(1) , 2024.
• Nguyen NUN, Wang HV Dual Roles of Palladin Protein in In Vitro Myogenesis: Inhibition of Early Induction but Promotion of Myotube Maturation. PLoS ONE. 10(4) , 2015.
• Nguyen NUN, Liang VR, Wang HV Actin-associated protein palladin is required for migration behavior and differentiation potential of C2C12 myoblast cells. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 452(3) : 728-733, 2014.
• Ali SR*, Nguyen NUN*, Elhelaly W, Hsu CC, Li S, Menendez-Montes I, Wang Z, Cui M, Elnwasany A, Xiao F, Sun J, Thet S, Lam NT, Cardoso AC, Pereira AH, Wang J, Olson EN, Kinter MT, Szwed LI, Shelton J, Kimura W, Sadek HA. Paracrine IGFBP3 spatially coordinates IGF signaling to induce myocardial regeneration in mice Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology. 207: 93-106, 2025.
• Lam NT, Nguyen NUN, Elhelaly W M., Hsu CC, Menendez-Montes I, Xiao F, Ali SR, Vo N, Briard N, El-Feky L, Omari QM, Cardoso AC, Liu Y, Ahmed MS, Li S, Thet S, Xing C, Zangi L, Sadek HA Induced Cytokinesis Generates Highly Proliferative Mononuclear Cardiomyocytes at the Expense of Contractility. Circulation. 151(14) : 1009-1023, 2025.
• Wu YJ, Chiao CC, Chuang PK, Hsieh CB, Ko CY, Ko CC, Chang CF, Chen TY, Nguyen NUN, Hsu CC, Chu TH, Fang CC, Tsai HY, Tsai HC, Anuraga G, Ta HDK, Xuan DTM, Kumar S, Dey S, Wulandari FS, Manalu RT, Ly NP, Wang CY, Lee YK Comprehensive Analysis of Bulk and Single-cell RNA sequencing Data Reveals Schlafen-5 (SLFN5) As a Novel Prognosis and Immunity. Int J Med Sci. 21(12) : 2348-2364, 2024.
• Liu CH, Ho YC, Lee WC, Huang CY, Lee YK, Hsieh CB, Huang NC, Wu CC, Nguyen NUN, Hsu CC, Chen CH, Chen YC, Huang WC, Lu YY, Fang CC, Chang YC, Chang CL, Tsai MK, Wen ZH, Li CZ, Li CC, Chuang PK, Yang SM, Chu TH, Huang SC Sodium-Glucose Co-Transporter-2 Inhibitor Empagliflozin Attenuates Sorafenib-Induced Myocardial Inflammation and Toxicity. Environmental Toxicology. 39(11) : 4844-4858, 2024.
• Ahmed MS*, Farag AB*, Boys IN*, Wang P*, Menendez-Montes I, Nguyen NUN, Eitson JL, Ohlson MB, Fan WC, McDougal MB, Mar K, Thet S, Ortiz F, Kim SY, Solmonson A, Williams NS, Lemoff A, DeBerardinis RJ, Schoggins JW, Sadek HA FDA approved drugs with antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2: From structure-based repurposing to host-specific mechanisms. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. 162, 2023.
• Shih PC*, Chen HP*, Hsu CC, Lin CH, Ko CY, Hsueh CW, Huang CY, Chu TH, Wu CC, Ho YC, Nguyen NUN, Huang SC, Fang CC, Tzou SJ, Wu YJ, Chen TY, Chang CF, and Lee YK Long-term DEHP/MEHP exposure promotes colorectal cancer stemness associated with glycosylation alterations. Environmental Pollution. 327, 2023.
• Ahmed MS*, Wang P*, Nguyen NUN, Nakada Y, Menendez-Montes I, Ismail M, Bachoo R, Henkemeyer M, Sadek HA, and Kandil ES Identification of tetracycline combinations as EphB1 tyrosine kinase inhibitors for treatment of neuropathic pain. PNAS. 118(10) , 2021.
• Li S, Nguyen NUN, Xiao F, Menendez-Montes I, Nakada Y, Tan WLW, Anene-Nzelu CG, Foo R, Thet S, Cardoso AC, Wang P, Elhelaly WM, Lam NT, Pereira, Hill JA, Sadek HA Mechanism of Eccentric Cardiomyocyte Hypertrophy in Response to Severe Mitral Regurgitation. Circulation. 141(22) : 1787 - 1799, 2020.
• Cardoso AC*, Lam NT*, Savla JJ*, Nakada Y, Pereira AHM, Elnwasany A, Menendez-Montes I, Ensley EL, Bezan Petric UB, Sharma G, Sherry AD, Malloy CR, Khemtong C, Kinter M, Tan WLW, Anene-Nzelu CG, Foo RSL, Nguyen NUN, Li S, Ahmed MS, Elhelaly WM, Abdisalaam S, Asaithamby A, Xing C, Kanchwala M, Vale G, Eckert KM, Mitsche MA, McDonald JG, Hill JA, Huang L, Shaul PW, Szweda LI, and Sadek HA Mitochondrial substrate utilization regulates cardiomyocyte cell-cycle progression. Nature Metabolism. 2: 167–178, 2020.
• Villalobos E, Criollo A, Schiattarella GG, Altamirano F, French KM, May HI, Jiang N, Nguyen NUN, Romero D, Roa JC, García L, Diaz-Araya G, Morselli E, Ferdous A, Conway SJ, Sadek HA, Gillette TG, Lavandero S, Hill JA Fibroblast Primary Cilia are Required for Cardiac Fibrosis. Circulation. 139(20) : 2342 - 2357, 2019.
• Nakada Y, Nguyen NUN, Xiao F, Savla J, Lam NT, Abdisalaam S, Bhattacharya S, Mukherjee S, Asaithamby A, Gillette TG, Hill JA, and Sadek HA DNA Damage Response Mediates Pressure Overload-Induced Cardiomyocyte Hypertrophy. Circulation. 139(9) : 1237-1239, 2019.
• Rotter D, Peirisb H, Grinsfelder DB, Martin AM, Burchfield J, Parra V, Hull C, Morales CR, Jessup CF, Matusica D, Parks BW, Lusis AJ, Nguyen NUN, Oh M, Iyoke I, Jakkampudi T, McMillan DR, Sadek HA, Watt MJ, Gupta RK, Pritchard MA, Keating DJ & Rothermel BA Regulator of Calcineurin 1 helps coordinate whole-body metabolism and thermogenesis. EMBO Reports. 19(12) , 2018.
• Dahlak D Solomon, Ching-Chung Ko, Hsin-Yi Chen, Sachin Kumar, Fitria Sari Wulandari, Do Thi Minh Xuan, Hung-Yun Lin, Hui-Ru Lin, Yung-Kuo Lee, Wen-Hsin Hsu, Yang Pei-Ming, Chih-Yang Wang, Ngoc Uyen Nhi Nguyen A machine learning framework using urinary biomarkers for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma prediction with post hoc validation via single-cell transcriptomics Briefings in Bioinformatics. 26(6) , 2025.
• Yi-Chun Chiang, Chih-Yang Wang, Neethu Palekkode, Shun-Fa Yan, Kai-Fu Chang, Ching-Chung Ko, Chih-Hsuan Chang, Hui-Ru Lin, Chi-Jen Wu, Yu-Cheng Ho, Chih-Chun Lin, Chien-Han Yuan, Sachin Kumar, Dahlak Daniel Solomon, Juan Lorell Ngadio, Fitria Sari Wulandari, Do Thi Minh Xuan, Chung-Bao Hsieh, Meng-Chi Yen, I-Jeng Yeh, Pi-Chan Ko, Chia-Lung Shih, Hoi-Bor Chan, Yung-Kuo Lee, Ngoc Uyen Nhi Nguyen Multi-Omics and Single-Cell Dissection of Exostosin Glycosyltransferases (EXT1/EXT2) Reveals Divergent Oncogenic Roles and Therapeutic Vulnerabilities in Gliomas Journal of Cancer. , 2026.