Heather Hennkens

Associate Professor, Chemistry and MURR

email HennkensH@missouri.edu

Education:

  • Postdoctoral Fellowship, Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Missouri, 2009
  • Ph.D., Inorganic Chemistry, Washington University in St. Louis, 2004
  • M.A., Chemistry, Washington University in St. Louis, 1998
  • B.S., Chemistry, Lindenwood University, 1996
  • B.A., Spanish, Lindenwood University, 1996

Professional Experience:

  • Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry and Research Reactor, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 2024-present
  • Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry and Research Reactor, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 2019-2024
  • Assistant Research Professor, Research Reactor, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 2011-2019
  • Staff Scientist – Study Director/Principal Investigator (2009-2011), Chemist – Team Leader and Study Director/Principal Investigator (2011), Bioanalytical Services, ABC Laboratories, Inc., Columbia, MO, 2009-2011
  • Life Sciences (2004-2006) and NIH/NCI (2006-2009) Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, University of Missouri, 2004-2009
  • Adjunct Instructor, Department of Chemistry, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, 2004
  • Staff Scientist, Division of Radiological Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 2000-2001

Research Emphasis:

The primary focus areas of the Hennkens research program are 1) the production and purification of medical radionuclides and 2) their use in the development of theranostic (combination therapeutic and diagnostic) metals-based radiopharmaceuticals.  Radionuclide production projects involve targetry, separations and target material recycling, while radiopharmaceutical projects involve ligand development, metal/radiometal chelation, and the radiochemical synthesis and in vitro/vivo evaluation of new radiopharmaceuticals.  The multidisciplinary nature of these projects results in a collaborative environment that offers a wide range of research experiences to student and postdoctoral trainees.

Honors and Awards:

  • Fuldner Faculty Fellow, MU Department of Chemistry, 2022
  • Fuldner Faculty Fellow, MU Department of Chemistry, 2021

Select Publications:

Full publication list available at this link.

  • Holiski, C. K.; Bender, A. A.; Monte, P. F.; Hennkens, H. M.; Embree, M. F.; Wang, M-J.; Sjoden, G. E.; Mastren, T.  The Production and Separation of 161Tb with High Specific Activity at the University of Utah. Appl. Radiat. Isot. 214, 111530, 2024. doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2024.111530
  • Hoerres, R.; Kamboj, R.; Pryor, N.; Kelley, S. P.; Hennkens, H. M. [186Re]Re- and [99mTc]Tc-Tricarbonyl Metal Complexes with 1,4,7-Triazacyclononane-Based Chelators Bearing Amide, Alcohol, or Ketone Pendent Groups. ACS Omega 9, 39925-39935, 2024. doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.4c05699
  • Hoerres, R.; Hennkens, H. M.  1,4,7-Triazacyclononane-Based Chelators for the Complexation of [186Re]Re- and [99mTc]Tc-Tricarbonyl Cores. Inorg. Chem. 62(50), 20688-20698, 2023. doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.3c01934
  • Makris, G.; Li, Y.; Gallazzi, F.; Kuchuk, M.; Wang, J.; Lewis, M. R.; Jurisson, S. S.; Hennkens, H. M.  Evaluation of Re/99mTc-Labeled Somatostatin Receptor-Targeting Peptide Complexes Synthesized via Direct Metal Cyclization. Radiochim. Acta 111(4), 291-300, 2023. doi.org/10.1515/ract-2022-0097
  • Blackadar, C.; Choi, K. G.; Embree, M. F.; Hennkens, H. M.; Rodríguez-Rodríguez, C.; Hancock, R. E. W.; Saatchi, K.; Häfeli, U. O.  SPECT/CT Imaging of 111Ag for the Preclinical Evaluation of Silver-Based Antimicrobial Nanomedicines. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 14(23), 26382–26393, 2022. doi.org/10.1021/acsami.2c03609
  • (Cover, ACS Editors’ Choice) Matiz, C. A.; Delaney, S.; Cook, B. E.; Genady, A. R.; Hoerres, R.; Kuchuk, M.; Makris, G.; Valliant, J. F.; Sadeghi, S.; Lewis, J. S.; Hennkens, H. M.; Bryan, J. N.; Zeglis, B. M.  Pretargeted PET of Osteodestructive Lesions in Dogs. Mol. Pharmaceutics 19(9), 3153-3162, 2022. doi.org/10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.2c00220
  • Charles, A.; Khosrashahi, F. N.; Ma, L.; Munindradasa, C.; Hoerres, R.; Lydon, J. D.; Kelley, S. P.; Guthrie, J.; Rotsch, D.; Medvedev, D.; Cutler, C. S.; Li, Y.; Wilbur, D. S.; Hennkens, H. M.; Jurisson, S. S.  Evaluation of 186WS2 Target Material for Production of High Specific Activity 186Re via Proton Irradiation: Separation, Radiolabeling and Recovery/Recycling. Radiochim. Acta 110(6-9), 739-749, 2022. Published within the special issue “Diamond Jubilee” to celebrate its 60th year. doi.org/10.1515/ract-2021-1138
  • (NMB Editors’ Choice) Ma, L.; Grant, C.; Gallazzi, F.; Watkinson, L. D.; Carmack, T. L.; Embree, M. F.; Smith, C. J.; Medvedev, D.; Cutler, C. S.; Li, Y.; Wilbur, D. S.; Hennkens, H. M.; Jurisson, S. S.  Development and Biodistribution Studies of 77As-Labeled Trithiol RM2 Bioconjugates for Prostate Cancer: Comparison of [77As]As-trithiol-(Ser)2-RM2 vs. [77As]As-trithiol-Glu-Ser-RM2. Nucl. Med. Biol. 108-109, 61-69, 2022. Published within the special issue “Women in Radiopharmaceutical / Radiochemical Sciences”. doi.org/10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2022.03.003
  • Kankanamalage, P. H. A.; Hoerres, R.; Ho, K-V.; Anderson, C. J.; Gallazzi, F.; Hennkens, H. M.  p-NCS-Bn-NODAGA as a Bifunctional Chelator for Radiolabeling with the 186Re/99mTc-Tricarbonyl Core: Radiochemistry with Model Complexes and a GRPR-Targeting Peptide. Nucl. Med. Biol. 108-109, 1-9, 2022. Published within the special issue “Women in Radiopharmaceutical / Radiochemical Sciences”. doi.org/10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2022.01.004
  • Olson, A. P.; Ma, L.; Feng, Y.; Khosrashahi, F. N.; Kelley, S. P.; Aluicio-Sarudy, E.; Barnhart; T. E.; Hennkens, H. M.; Ellison, P. A.; Jurisson, S. S.; Engle, J. W.  A Third Generation Potentially Bifunctional Trithiol Chelate, Its nat,1XXSb(III) Complex, and Selective Chelation of Radioantimony (119Sb) from Its Sn Target. Inorg. Chem. 60, 15223-15232, 2021. doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.1c01690
  • Shegani, A.; Ischyropoulou, M.; Roupa, I.; Kiritsis, C.; Makrypidi, K.; Papasavva, A.; Raptopoulou, C.; Psycharis, V.; Hennkens, H. M.; Pelecanou, M.; Papadopoulos, M. S.; Pirmettis, I.  Synthesis and Evaluation of New Mixed “2+1” Re, 99mTc, and 186Re Tricarbonyl Dithiocarbamate Complexes with Different Monodentate Ligands. Bioorg. Med. Chem. 47, 116373, 2021. doi.org/10.1016/j.bmc.2021.116373
  • Okoye, N. C.; Phelps, T. E.; Charles, A.; McCormick, J. B.; Wycoff, D. E.; Lydon, J. D.; Embree, M. F.; Guthrie, J.; Kelley, S. P.; Barnes, C. L.; Ketring, A. R.; Hennkens, H. M.; Jurisson, S. S.  Recovery, Recycling and Re-irradiation of Enriched 104Ru Metal Targets for Cost Effective Production of 105Rh. Appl. Radiat. Isot. 176, 109847, 2021. doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2021.109847
  • Makris, G.; Shegani, A.; Kankanamalage, P. H. A.; Kuchuk, M.; Bandari, R. P.; Smith, C. J.; Hennkens, H. M.  Preclinical Evaluation of Novel 64Cu-Labeled Gastrin-Releasing Peptide Receptor Bioconjugates for PET Imaging of Prostate Cancer. Bioconjugate Chem. 32(7), 1290-1297, 2021. Published within the special issue “State-of-the-Art of Radiometal-Based Bioconjugates for Molecular Imaging and Radiotherapy”. doi.org/10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.0c00656
  • Khosroshahi, F. N.; Feng, Y.; Ma, L.; Manring, S.; Rold, T. L.; Gallazzi, F. A.; Kelley, S. P.; Embree, M. F.; Hennkens, H. M.; Hoffman, T. J.; Jurisson, S. S.  A New, Second Generation Trithiol Bifunctional Chelate for 72,77As: Trithiol(b)-(Ser)2-RM2. Bioconjugate Chem. 32(7), 1364-1373, 2021. Published within the special issue “State-of-the-Art of Radiometal-Based Bioconjugates for Molecular Imaging and Radiotherapy”. doi.org/10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.0c00658
  • Wang, J.; Makris, G.; Kuchuk, M.; Radford, L.; Gallazzi, F.; Lewis, M. R.; Jurisson, S. S.; Hennkens, H. M.  Direct Labeling of a Somatostatin Receptor Antagonist via Peptide Cyclization with Re, 99mTc and 186Re Metal Centers: Radiochemistry and In Vitro Evaluation. Nucl. Med. Biol., 94-95, 46-52, 2021. doi.org/10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2020.12.007
  • Makris, G.; Bandari, R. P.; Kuchuk, M.; Jurisson, S. S.; Smith, C. J.; Hennkens, H. M.  Development and Preclinical Evaluation of 99mTc- and 186Re-Labeled NOTA and NODAGA Bioconjugates Demonstrating Matched Pair Targeting of GRPR-Expressing Tumors. Mol. Imaging Biol. 23(1), 52-61, 2021.  doi.org/10.1007/s11307-020-01537-1
  • (Invited) Okoye, N. C.; Baumeister, J.; Najafi F.; Hennkens, H. M.; Jurisson, S. S.  Chelators and Metal Complex Stability for Radiopharmaceutical Applications. Radiochim. Acta 107(9-11), 1087-1120, 2019. Published within the special issue “International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements 2019”. doi.org/10.1515/ract-2018-3090
  • Makris, G.; Kuchuk, M.; Gallazzi, F.; Jurisson, S. S.; Smith, C. J.; Hennkens, H. M.  Somatostatin Receptor Targeting with Hydrophilic [99mTc/186Re]Tc/Re-Tricarbonyl NODAGA and NOTA Complexes. Nucl. Med. Biol. 71, 39-46, 2019. doi.org/10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2019.04.004
  • Radford, L. L.; Papagiannopoulou, D.; Gallazzi, F.; Berendzen, A.; Watkinson, L.; Carmack, T.; Lewis, M. R.; Jurisson, S. S.; Hennkens, H. M.  Synthesis and Evaluation of Re/99mTc(I) Complexes Bearing a Somatostatin Receptor-Targeting Antagonist and Labeled via a Novel [N,S,O] Clickable Bifunctional Chelating Agent. Bioorg. Med. Chem., 27, 492-501, 2019. doi.org/10.1016/j.bmc.2018.12.028