Associate Professor, @VAInstitute studying neurodegenerative diseases; protein pathologies and genetic risk; a-syn, tau 🧠🔬
Grand Rapids, MI
Joined October 2010
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Exciting demonstration that aggregates formed after seeding wildtype mice with human-derived tau filaments have the same core structure as the seeds!
Out now. A collaboration with Sofia Lövestam, Masato Hasegawa and Sjors Scheres. We report that tau filaments extracted from the brains of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and corticobasal degeneration breed true in the brains of wild-type mice. nature.com/articles/s41586-0…
Michael Henderson retweeted
We are kicking off a new initiative this month: Lab Member Spotlight. We will be highlighting a different member each month to showcase our talented team in the Henderson Lab! Our first featured lab member is Kevin Kurgat! Thank you for all of your hard work, Kevin!
We’re hiring a Postdoc in the Henderson Lab @ Van Andel Institute!
Join our team studying neurodegenerative disease across scales (molecular → circuits). Flexible, high-impact projects and strong mentorship.
Apply: vai.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en…
Please share!
Michael Henderson retweeted
Congratulations to @_AnikaWeekes on passing her comprehensive exam! Looking forward to all the exciting research to come!
Michael Henderson retweeted
We are excited to recognize renowned scientist Glenda Halliday, Ph.D., as the recipient of the 2026 Jay Van Andel Award for Outstanding Achievement in Parkinson’s Disease Research!
Michael Henderson retweeted
What’s on the horizon in Parkinson’s disease research? In honor of #ParkinsonsAwarenessMonth, VAI’s Dr. Darren Moore highlights five areas to watch for breakthroughs in Parkinson’s research.
Michael Henderson retweeted
The first time you start a research lab, there’s no manual.
So I made one.
A practical toolkit for postdocs and early-career faculty launching their first lab: hiring, startup planning, collaborations, and building a sustainable research program.
zenodo.org/records/18883545
Excited to have this work by postdoc Alex Soto out!
Can a chronic stomach infection influence #Parkinsons disease risk? Recent findings by VAI’s @MXHend and colleagues reveal how infection by the H. pylori bacterium may influence the risk and progression of Parkinson’s.
Michael Henderson retweeted
❗🧠 New review in IEEE RBME
How network math models are reshaping how we think about neurodegenerative disease, from brain dynamics to disease progression
"Network models of neurodegeneration: bridging neuronal dynamics and disease progression"
ieeexplore.ieee.org/document…
Michael Henderson retweeted
New paper from @MXHend & @VAInstitute colleagues reports Helicobacter pylori infection & #Parkinsons-associated α-synuclein pathology drive parallel neurodegen. pathways in the substantia nigra; H. pylori infection doesn't exacerbate α-synucleinopathy
link.springer.com/article/10…
Exciting study of Alzheimer's plasma biomarkers in a community sample. The finding I was most surprised by was this plot of biomarker prevelance by education. Education reduces incidence of AD, but this shows it also prevents biological markers of AD! nature.com/articles/s41586-0…
Excited to have this work from the lab out! Great work from Alysa Kasen on tau comforters!
A study by @MXHend and collaborators found that an unstructured layer surrounding the Alzheimer’s-related protein tau plays a critical role in recruiting other proteins to misfold in Alzheimer’s progression. The findings were published in @NatureComms.
vai.org/article/not-just-a-h…
Michael Henderson retweeted
Synuclein sinkholes snare lysosomal repair proteins. Without them, lysosomes leak, spilling synuclein seeds into the cytoplasm. Does this speed up pathology? @MPI_Biochem ow.ly/MMLJ50X5lFS
Congratulations, Dr. Goralski! Excited to see what you do next!
Congratulations to Dr. Goralski on a fantastic dissertation defense! The whole lab showed up in Tommy's usual attire to celebrate with him! #PhD
Michael Henderson retweeted
Congratulations to Dr. J. Timothy Greenamyre, recipient of the 2025 Jay Van Andel Award for Outstanding Achievement in Parkinson’s Disease Research! Dr. Greenamyre received the award today at the Grand Challenges in Parkinson's Disease symposium: vai.org/2025-jva-award
Michael Henderson retweeted
Grand Challenges in Parkinson’s Disease brings together hundreds of scientists, clinicians and people with Parkinson’s to learn, connect and shape the future of research.
Join us Sept. 9–10, 2025 at Van Andel Institute.
Learn more and register: grandchallengesinpd.org
