Fargo, N.D. –– Erin Nyren-Erickson, a doctoral student in pharmaceutical sciences at NDSU, has received a pre-doctoral fellowship from the American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education. The fellowship is awarded to outstanding pre-doctoral students of pharmaceutical and medicinal chemistry sciences in support of their research program. The fellowship is a nationally competitive award; approximately 60 awards are presented across the U.S. each year.

Nyren-Erickson has been studying with Sanku Mallik, professor of pharmaceutical sciences at NDSU, since 2009. Mallik’s research is concerned with the sensitive detection of various cancer-related enzymes, as well as other disease-related biomarkers. Her most recent projects involve the detection of elevated levels of glycosaminoglycans in human serum, a possible indicator of Alzheimer’s disease. Additional ongoing studies in Mallik’s lab include amplified detection of matrix metalloproteinases and other enzymes associated with metastatic cancer.