Nils Henninger

Nils Henninger, MD, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Neurology at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School (UMass Chan) and the T.H. Chan School of Medicine. He holds affiliations with the Neurology Department and multiple institutes including the NeuroNexus Institute and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Department. His research focuses on the neurobiology of axonal injury in traumatic brain injury (TBI) and stroke, particularly targeting Sarm1-mediated Wallerian degeneration. He leads clinical trials investigating endovascular therapies and thrombectomy techniques for acute ischemic stroke, with a focus on medium vessel occlusions and cervical artery dissection.

• Education: MD from Johannes Gutenberg University (Germany), PhD in Biomedical Sciences from University of Massachusetts Medical School, residency in Neurology at Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg and UMass Chan, and a cerebrovascular fellowship at Harvard Medical School.
• Awards: Includes NIH grants (R21NS131756, K08 NS091499), the PACE Award (UMass Chan), and fellowships from the American Neurological Association and World Stroke Organization.
• Research Interests: Axonal degeneration mechanisms, stroke treatment innovations, and translational neurology. His lab explores RNAi-based therapies for ALS and Sarm1 inhibition to prevent TBI-induced neurological deficits.

Dr. Henninger’s clinical work involves stroke neurology and emergency neurology, with over 150 peer-reviewed publications on thrombectomy outcomes, anticoagulation strategies, and cerebral venous thrombosis. He leads multidisciplinary teams in translational research and mentors trainees in the MD/PhD Program at Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.