معرفی
Dr. Michael Henderson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Neurodegenerative Science at Van Andel Institute (VAI) and Director of the VAI Brain Bank. His research focuses on neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), investigating protein pathologies (e.g., α-synuclein, tau) and genetic risk factors (e.g., LRRK2, GBA1). He earned his B.Sc. in Biological Science from Florida State University, Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Yale University (under Dr. Sreeganga Chandra), and conducted postdoctoral work at the University of Pennsylvania (with Drs. Virginia Lee and John Trojanowski). Promoted to Associate Professor in 2024, his lab combines primary neuron cultures, animal models, and computational modeling to study disease mechanisms and therapeutic targets.
Key research areas include: (1) Mapping α-synuclein pathology spread via brain connectivity networks, (2) Evaluating LRRK2 kinase inhibitors and glucocerebrosidase modifiers, (3) Identifying cell-type vulnerabilities using spatial transcriptomics, and (4) Translating discoveries into clinical trials. His lab has published over 120 peer-reviewed papers, including 63 in high-impact journals (2024 alone). Notable grants include a $5.8M NIH grant (2025) studying cellular senescence in Parkinson’s and a $9M Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s award (2021).
Awards include the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (2012) and NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein Award (2017). His team includes 10+ advisees (Ph.D. students, postdocs, and technicians), with active collaborations across institutions like Yale and the University of Pennsylvania. The Henderson Lab aims to accelerate therapies by bridging basic science and clinical applications.
