Erome Hankore, Ph.D., has joined the Department of Chemistry in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences as a pre-faculty fellow in the Pathway to Faculty program. 

Hankore earned her doctoral degree in chemistry from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where her studies focused on enhancing quadruplet codon decoding for genetic code expansion and advancing biofuel production through the characterization of novel carboxylic acid reductases. 

At Wayne State University, she will work closely with faculty mentor Mary Kay Pflum, Ph.D., on research projects in the areas of chemical biology and biocatalysis.

“I am inspired by the opportunity to uncover kinase dynamics in disease states, with the aim of exploring mechanisms to enhance their druggability,” Hankore said. “Along with studying kinase dynamics, I will focus on engineering biocatalysts to synthesize compounds with potential applications in drug development and the production of value-added industrial chemicals.”

The opportunity to be mentored by career experts in her field as she develops professionally and contributes to both Wayne State University and Detroit through the Pathway to Faculty program excites Hankore.

“I hope my research will lead to a deeper understanding of kinase dynamics in rare diseases, opening new avenues for drug discovery and development. By engineering biocatalysts, I aim to create innovative methods for synthesizing pharmaceutical compounds and industrial chemicals, ultimately contributing to both healthcare and sustainable industrial processes.”