PIONEERS

SCIENTIST PIONEERS: Dr. Charmaine Henry

February 22, 20211010 views0

Introduction

There is a common saying that goes “one can never run out of good things to do for the world” and Dr. Charmaine Henry is living proof of this. As a biologist and physiologist, Dr. Henry has made a lot of progress in her quest to make meaningful contributions in her field. The most notable contribution that she made was the study of blood vessels at the molecular level.

Early Life

Dr. Henry was born 22^nd July 1964 in Five Islands Village in Antigua. She began expressing her love for science at an early stage and had a peculiar curiosity for everything around her.

Education

Dr. Henry went to Antigua Girls Preparatory school where she attained primary education and Antigua Girls high school for secondary education. In secondary school, she had challenges with mathematics but through consistency and hard work, she was able to pass.

She went to Antigua state college for further studies then joined the University of the Virgin Islands where she pursued a BS in Biology. For her master’s and doctorate studies, Dr. Henry went to the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey where she pursued a Ph.D. in Anatomy, Cell Biology and Injury Sciences.

Career

Within her fields of expertise she has made multiple key contributions, including her research into the regeneration of human tissue through her analysis of the regenerative abilities of the Lumbriculus variegatus, also known as the California black worm. Probably her most renowned efforts are in physiology, where her efforts in showing how blood vessel lining is protected brought a fresh angle of attack on one of the world’s most common causes of death, cardiovascular disease.

Dr. Henry is currently engaged to the tutoring profession at the Baker University of Kansas. Here, she is the Associate Professor of Biology and lectures on anatomy, immunology, physiology, and biology. As a professor she has been at the forefront of implementing a new innovative teaching technique that allows students to maintain anonymity when participating in class. The technique was implemented in her physiology as well as human anatomy courses and it was successful.

It was deemed effective because it helped overcome the emotional barriers that can hinder some students from participating in class. The effectiveness of this teaching technique was evident in the learning outcomes in the courses that implemented it as students exhibited a higher understanding of the subjects.

Achievements

In 2002, Dr. Charmaine Henry received the 2000 Outstanding Scientists of the 21^st Century Award as a recognition for the research she carried out in Microvascular Physiology. Baker University in 2006 awarded her the Distinguished Faculty award and in 2007 Dr. Henry was given the Women of Strength Award.