Mary Kay Pflum

Mary Kay Pflum is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Wayne State University's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Holding the A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Endowed Chair in Chemistry, she leads a research program at the Chemistry-Biology interface focusing on kinase and histone deacetylase (HDAC) enzymes in cancer biology.

• Education:
  • B.A., Carleton College (1992)
  • Ph.D., Yale University (1999)
  • NIH Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard University (1999-2001)

Her research integrates organic synthesis, biochemistry, and cell biology to develop chemical tools for studying protein post-translational modifications. Key projects include:

• ATP analog-based kinase substrate labeling
• HDAC substrate trapping mutants
• Selective HDAC inhibitor development

Recent publications highlight her work in HDAC6 substrate discovery (e.g., PRMT5 deacetylation), EGFR-HDAC1 signaling, and innovations in kinase substrate identification methods like K-BIPS and K-CLIP. Awards include the Charles H. Gershenson Distinguished Faculty Fellowship (2019) and multiple NIH grants (R01GM079529, R35GM131821).

Scientific Awards & Grants:

• American Chemical Society Pre-doctoral Fellowship (1996)
• NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship (1999)
• Research Corporation Innovation Award (2002)
• NIH R01 Grants (2001-present)
• Charles H. Gershenson Distinguished Faculty Fellowship (2019)