Howard Hughes Medical Institute names recent MSU Chemistry Ph.D. alum as 2021 Hanna Gray Fellow

Evert Njomen, currently working at the Scripps Research Institute under the mentorship of Benjamin F. Cravatt, is using small molecule compounds known as chemical probes to identify specific proteins that could be used to develop treatments against a wide range of bacteria and viruses. The proteins Evert studies are involved in recycling cellular waste and debris, a process known as autophagy, which also plays a central role in the immune system’s control of pathogens. Evert hopes to develop advanced probes that can be used to ramp the autophagy process up or down for potential use in pharmaceuticals to target pathogens, including drug-resistant strains of bacteria.

Evert earned her Ph.D. in 2019 working with Chemistry Prof. Jetze Tepe.

Also awarded a Fellowship this year was Kyle Card, an MSU Ph.D. graduate of MMB.