Michael Henderson is a Ph.D. student at the Knight Cancer Institute, where he is a member of the CEDAR Center at Oregon Health & Science University. His prior research spans chemical synthesis for clean energy storage to the advancement of mRNA lipid nanoparticles to treat rare diseases under the tutelage of Dr. Gaurav Sahay. Currently, co-mentored by Dr. Adem Yildirim and Dr. Stuart Ibsen, he is developing methods to improve immunotherapies efficacy and enrich liquid biopsy using non-invasive responsive nanomaterials and protein blockers. His extracurricular passions include photography, mountaineering, and regional-international health outreach.