Dr. Hensley-McBain serves as the Associate Course Director for immunology at TouroCOM Montana and is also a principal investigator at the McLaughlin Research Institute. The Hensley-McBain laboratory is focused on defining the key inflammatory factors that drive end-organ damage in chronic age-related diseases. Our goal is to discover new therapeutic targets and treatments to alleviate the burden of neurodegenerative and cardiometabolic diseases and promote healthy aging. Our specific objectives are to:

1. Develop new therapies and diagnostics for Alzheimer’s disease and other age-related diseases by increasing our understanding of inflammation and age

2. Bring Clinical Trials in Alzheimer's disease and neurodegeneration to the state of Montana through the expansion of the Montana Center for Aging Research and Education

3. Provide an avenue for future generations of Montana scientists to pursue research through outreach, training, and teaching

4. Contribute to the success of TouroCOM Montana as the first medical school in the state and the success of TouroCOM Montana students through teaching and mentoring student-driven research projects

The Hensley-McBain laboratory is funded by a National Institutes of Health grant from the National Institute of Aging and the NIH-funded Center for Biomedical Research Excellence at the McLaughlin Research Institute.

Education

• PhD, Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Washington

Research

The Hensley-McBain lab studies the immune mediators that connect microbial dysbiosis to disease using mouse models and in vitro systems to inform targeted therapeutic approaches for chronic inflammatory conditions, including neurodegenerative diseases and chronic viral infections.