New Position for Dr. Michelle Henshaw

Henshaw-200Dean Jeffrey W. Hutter appointed Dr. Michelle Henshaw to the position of Associate Dean for Global & Population Health, effective February 1, 2013.

In this capacity, Dr. Henshaw will lead efforts related to developing and showcasing the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine’s (GSDM) position as a world leader in global health and interprofessional care initiatives. She will lead a new Global & Population Health office. “I have every confidence that Dr. Henshaw will excel in her new role,” said Dean Hutter. He continued, “Establishing the Global & Population Health office is an important strategic expansion for our School as we continue to contribute to the global profile of Boston University.”

The Global & Population Health office will actively support students, faculty, and staff in their efforts to improve the health of the world’s populations, and facilitate interdisciplinary health research, teaching, and practice across all departments and programs at GSDM and the University, with a special emphasis on global health and interprofessional care. Dr. Henshaw will retain her previous responsibilities related to Community Health Programs, the Northeast Center for Research to Evaluate and Eliminate Dental Disparities (CREEDD), and Community Partnerships and Extramural Affairs. She will also retain her appointment as Professor in the Department of Health Policy & Health Services Research.

Dr. Henshaw has been charged with: establishing an organizational structure that identifies and addresses the challenges of developing and conducting global health training, research, and service projects; working with the School of Medicine, School of Public Health, and health-related professional schools on the Charles River Campus to create programs that will rigorously prepare trainees for collaborative practice and interprofessional care; administering national and international community-based educational programs; administering and expanding the GSDM community service and service learning programs; and seeking funding for innovative research and educational programs that will catalyze the development of interdisciplinary translational research projects that provide a firm scientific base for clinical practice and public health policy.

Dr. Henshaw received a BS in Psychology from Columbia University in 1989, a BS in Dental Science and a DDS from the University of California at San Francisco in 1993, and a MPH with a dual concentration in Epidemiology/Biostatistics and Health Services from Boston University School of Public Health in 1996. She was a General Practice Resident at the Brockton Veterans Administration and a Faculty Training Fellow in Geriatric Dentistry for the US Department of Health and Human Services/Bureau of Health Professions at  Boston Medical Center/Boston University School of Medicine from 1993–1994. Dr. Henshaw earned a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Dental Public Health at GSDM in 2000.

Dr. Henshaw has been a Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Health Services Research at GSDM since 2008. She previously served that department as an Associate Professor from 2004–2008 and Assistant Professor from 1997–2004. Prior to that, she served as Assistant Professor in the Division of Dental Care Management from 1996–1997.

Dr. Henshaw has served as the Project Director at the Chelsea School Dental Center, the Director of Community Health Programs at GSDM, Dental Director at the Boston Center for Refugee Health and Human Rights at Boston Medical Center, and Co-PI for Clinical and Community Liaison Core at the CREEDD. She has served as Co-Director at the CREEDD since 2005, and as Assistant Dean for Community Partnerships and Extramural Affairs at GSDM since 2006.

Dr. Henshaw has received numerous awards and honors including: ADEA Gies Foundation 2011 William J. Gies Award for Innovation in the Dental Educator category; NIH-NCMHD Health Disparities Scholar, 2004–2007; Oral Health Care Access Program Scholar, Santa Fe Group and ADTA, 2002; Community Campus Partnerships for Health Fellow, 2002; Spencer N. Frankl Excellence in Teaching Faculty Award, 2000; Geriatric Dental Fellowship Award, Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine, 1997; Best Overall Presentation and Use of Graphics, University of Iowa Health Sciences Center, 1997; Omicron Kappa Upsilon Society, Member, 1993–Present; Chancellors Award, University of California at San Francisco, 1993; Professional Development Award, University of California at San Francisco, 1991; California Dental Association Award, University of California at San Francisco, 1991; and Mendelson Scholar Award, University of California at San Francisco, 1989–1993.

Dr. Henshaw is a member of several professional organizations including: American Association for Dental Research; American Association of Public Health Dentistry; American Dental Association; American Dental Education Association; American Public Health Association; International Association for Dental Research; Massachusetts Dental Society; and Massachusetts Public Health Association.

Dr. Henshaw has written numerous articles for several dental health publications including the American Journal of Public Health and the Journal of Dental Education.