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• ADA/CDA/TCDS
• International Association for Dental Research and American Association for Dental Research

Dr. Henson received his DDS and PhD degrees from the University of Michigan, School of Dentistry. He was then recruited to the UCLA School of Dentistry as an Assistant Professor prior to joining WesternU. The primary focus of Dr. Henson’s research is to identify the molecular events that predict the biological behavior of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. Over the course of his career he has endeavored to meet this research objective on multiple fronts: participating in a multidisciplinary parotid gland-sparing radiation program, pioneering the use of salivary biomarkers for the early detection of head and neck tumors, and deciphering the role of the galanin receptors and small GTPase signaling in tumor development and progression. As biomedical research continues its trend toward a translational research objective, Dr. Henson’s research laboratory has strived to partner basic science exploration with practical clinical application. Consistent with this philosophy, Dr. Henson, in his role as Assistant Dean for Research and Biomedical Sciences, facilitates student participation in research, supports faculty research development, and leads a team to integrate the basic and clinical sciences into an exciting case-based approach to delivering the human systems courses.