Amie Fornah Sankoh, a scientist originally from Sierra Leone, has achieved a historic milestone as the first deaf Black woman to secure a PhD in a STEM field in the United States and potentially the world. She earned her doctorate in biochemistry and cellular and molecular biology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in May 2023.
Sankoh lost her hearing at age three. After moving to the U.S. and being adopted, she mastered American Sign Language. She found that the visual structure of mathematics made it her strongest subject, eventually leading her toward a career in chemistry. Her academic path included studies at the Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf, followed by her doctoral work researching how hormones influence plant-pathogen interactions.
Throughout her career, Sankoh has navigated significant communication barriers, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic when masks and remote technology hindered accessibility. With the assistance of supportive colleagues who utilized transparent masks and written communication, she successfully completed her degree. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Danforth Plant Science Center in Missouri, where she remains committed to scientific research and advocating for the deaf community.
