Tara Olive Henderson is an American pediatric oncologist. As the Arthur and Marian Edelstein Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, she is also the Director of the Childhood Cancer Survivor Center, Director of Survivorship at the University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center, and chief of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology at the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

Early life and education

Henderson became interested in the field of oncology after spending a summer in a

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

cancer research lab through a program called Partners in Science. Henderson completed her medical degree at the

Pritzker School of Medicine The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine is the M.D.-granting unit under the Biological Sciences Division of the University of Chicago. It is located on the university's main campus in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago and mat ...

and her

Master of Public Health The Master of Public Health (MPH), Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH), Master of Medical Science in Public Health (MMSPH) and the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH), International Masters for Health Leadership (IMHL) are interdisciplinary profes ...

at the

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is the public health school at Harvard University, located in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston, Massachusetts. It was named after Hong Kong entrepreneur Chan Tseng-hsi in 2014 following a US$350 ...

. Following her medical degree, Henderson completed her

fellowship A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned or professional societies, the term refers ...

Boston Children's Hospital Boston Children's Hospital (formerly known as Children's Hospital Boston until 2013) is the main pediatric training and research hospital of Harvard Medical School, Harvard University. It is a nationally ranked, freestanding acute care children ...

and her

residency Residency may refer to: * Artist-in-residence, a program to sponsor the residence and work of visual artists, writers, musicians, etc. * Concert residency, a series of concerts performed at one venue * Domicile (law), the act of establishing or m ...

Johns Hopkins School of Medicine The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (JHUSOM) is the medical school of Johns Hopkins University, a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Established in 1893 following the construction of the Johns Hopkins Hospital, th ...

. 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.

Career

Following her master's degree at Harvard, Henderson joined the Department of Pediatrics within the hematology-oncology section at the

's (UChicago)

. By 2016, Henderson was serving as the Director of the Childhood Cancer Survivors Center where she specialized in care for childhood cancer survivors. Outside of UChicago, Henderson was appointed to serve on the 2017–18 Board of Directors for the

American Society of Clinical Oncology The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is a professional organization representing physicians of all oncology sub-specialties who care for people with cancer. Founded in 1964 by Fred Ansfield, Harry Bisel, Herman Freckman, Arnoldus G ...

(ASCO). She was also selected for 2018 Presidential Leadership Scholars program to help her develop practical leadership skills. Following this program, Henderson was designated ASCO's pediatric oncologist on its board of directors for a four-year term. During the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, Henderson publicly advocated to dispel

vaccine hesitancy Vaccine hesitancy is a delay in acceptance, or refusal of vaccines despite availability and supporting evidence. The term covers refusals to vaccinate, delaying vaccines, accepting vaccines but remaining uncertain about their use, or using ce ...

and encouraged other healthcare workers to receive the

COVID-19 vaccine A COVID19 vaccine is a vaccine intended to provide acquired immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID19). Knowledge about the structure and fun ...

. In October 2021, Henderson re-appeared in Chicago magazine's Top Doctors and Top Doctors for Moms and Kids lists. Later, she was elected a Member of the

American Society for Clinical Investigation The American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI), established in 1908, is one of the oldest and most respected medical honor societies in the United States. Organization and purpose The ASCI is an honorary society to which more than 2,800 p ...

for her efforts to addresses the late outcomes of childhood, adolescent and young adult cancer to inform both new treatment paradigms and long-term follow up care. In November 2021, Henderson was appointed the Service Line Chief of Pediatric Cancer and Blood Diseases at the Chicagoland Children's Health Alliance. She also became the Section Chief of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation at UChicago Medicine at the University of Chicago Medical Center. The following year, Henderson was named the Arthur and Marian Edelstein Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at UChicago.

Personal life

Henderson is married and has three children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Henderson, Tara O. Living people Place of birth missing (living people) Date of birth missing (living people) American oncologists American pediatricians 21st-century American women scientists 20th-century American women scientists Members of the American Society for Clinical Investigation University of Chicago faculty Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health alumni Pritzker School of Medicine alumni Year of birth missing (living people)