Dr. Henderson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at Marshall University’s Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. He received a BS (with distinction) in Chemistry at The Ohio State University, where he started research, initially as an Analytical Chemist in the lab of Dr. John Olesik. He went on to receive his PhD in Pharmacology at The Ohio State University in the lab of Dr. Dennis McKay. Afterwards, his professional journey continued his development as a NIDA-NIH Postdoctoral Fellow at the California Institute of Technology in the lab of Dr. Henry Lester. Before starting his faculty position at Marshall University, Dr. Henderson also trained as a visiting postdoctoral fellow at Yale University (under Dr Nii Addy and Dr. Marina Picciotto).

In addition to his responsibilities at Marshall University, Dr. Henderson is now one of two co-Chairs for the Basic Science Network in the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (www.SRNT.org).

The Henderson lab focuses on the role tobacco and vaping flavors play in addiction-related behaviors. Thus far, we have shown that menthol and green apple flavors can enhance nicotine vapor self-administration and do so by directly altering dopamine neurons in the midbrain.