Tara O. Henderson, MD, MPH, has been named the Founders’ Board Centennial Chair of Pediatrics, effective March 31.
Henderson is currently the Arthur and Marian Edelstein Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Chicago.
In addition to directing the Childhood, Adolescent and Young Adult Survivorship Center at UChicago Medicine, Henderson co-leads the Comprehensive Cancer Center Prevention and Control Program at the UChicago Comprehensive Cancer Center and serves as Section Chief of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation in the UChicago Comer Children’s Hospital and chief of the Cancer and Blood Disorders Service Line of the Chicagoland Children’s Health Alliance.
“Tara’s extensive experience, unwavering dedication to children’s health, and visionary leadership make her an exceptional addition to the Department of Pediatrics,” said Eric G. Neilson, MD, vice president for medical affairs and Lewis Landsberg Dean. “We are confident that under her guidance, the department will continue to excel and push the boundaries of pediatric care and research.”
An expert in pediatric cancer survivorship, Henderson’s research focuses on understanding childhood, adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer outcomes, including characterizing the development of and screening for subsequent cancers in childhood and AYA cancer survivors.
Although treatment of childhood and AYA cancers has become increasingly successful, the long-term toxic effects of chemotherapy and radiation during critical stages of development can lead to subsequent cancers and damage to vital organ systems. Henderson’s work aims to identify susceptible patients and develop early screening regimens. Her National Institutes of Health-funded research has impacted policy and practice to integrate cancer care with primary and sub-specialty care from diagnosis to long-term survivorship.
At the University of Chicago, Henderson established one of the pre-eminent academic childhood and AYA survivorship programs in the nation and published more than 100 peer-reviewed research articles. Her research has made seminal contributions to the understanding, management and prevention of the late effects of cancer treatment in long-term cancer survivors.
“Lurie Children’s and the Department of Pediatrics in the Feinberg School of Medicine are national leaders in cutting-edge care and research for children’s health. To be part of that team is an amazing opportunity. I am thrilled to join Lurie and Northwestern to focus on improving the lives of all children and adolescents throughout Chicagoland, the nation and the world,” Henderson said. “I can’t wait to get to know the amazing students, doctors, scientists, nurses, and staff, and share my joy and excitement about the critical field of pediatric medicine.”
Henderson completed her medical degree at the Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago, and her Master of Public Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Henderson completed her hematology-oncology fellowship at the Boston Children’s Hospital/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Combined Program, her health services research fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital and her pediatrics residency at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
After finishing her master’s degree at Harvard, Henderson received the 2005 Conquer Cancer Foundation Merit Award for her research on sarcomas as a subsequent malignancy in survivors of pediatric cancer, conducted as part of the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. Henderson was selected for the 2018 class of Presidential Leadership Scholars, served on the American Society of Clinical Oncology Board of Directors from 2020-2024 and has also been named an American Society of Clinical Oncology Advocacy Champion.
“We are excited that Dr. Henderson will spearhead our Department of Pediatrics at Lurie Children’s, given her impressive accomplishments as a clinician, researcher, educator and staunch advocate for children’s health and wellbeing,” said Tom Shanley, MD, president and CEO of Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. “In her role, she will be integral to propelling us forward in pursuit of our multi-pillar mission. We are excited to have her leadership in advancing the care of the children we serve.”
In addition to her many awards and accolades, Henderson is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Society of Hematology, a fellow of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and in 2021, was elected to the American Society of Clinical Investigation.
“We are thrilled to welcome Tara to our medical school and the Feinberg community,” Neilson said. “I’d also like to extend my gratitude to Estella Alonso, MD, for her wonderful service to Feinberg as she steps down as interim chair of the department and to Doug Vaughan, MD, for leading the search committee.”
