Henson Awarded 2019 American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowship

David Henson has been awarded a 2019 American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowship for his project entitled: Modulation of antibodies targeting apolipoprotein A-I to reduce atherosclerosis in a mouse model. The award is for $26,844 each year for two years. The purpose of the award is to enhance the integrated research and clinical training of promising students who are matriculated in pre-doctoral or clinical health professional degree training programs and who intend careers as scientists, physician-scientists or other clinician-scientists, or related careers aimed at improving global cardiovascular health. The American Heart Association funds basic, clinical, behavioral, translational and population research, bioengineering/biotechnology and public health problems broadly related to fulfilling their mission to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives.

David earned his B.A. in Biology and Chemistry at Hanover College in Hanover, Indiana. In 2014, he matriculated into the MD/PhD program at the University of Kentucky. During his first two years of medical school, David worked with Dr. Moises Huaman of the Division of Infectious Disease to study the relationship between tuberculosis and cardiovascular disease. For his graduate work, David joined Dr. Venditto's lab in the College of Pharmacy to study the role of antibodies in cardiovascular disease. In his graduate work, David has identified a novel cardiovascular biomarker consisting of ApoA-I and IgG and published a paper describing this finding in the Atherosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. He anticipates completing his graduate work in the department in the next year.  David's long term career interest is to work as an infectious disease physician with a research program focused on immunomodulation in transplant patients.