Lisa Hensley (microbiologist) facts for kids
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Dr. Lisa Hensley is a super important scientist who studies some of the world's most dangerous germs. She works at a special research center in Maryland. Dr. Hensley used to be a microbiologist for the United States Army. A microbiologist is a scientist who studies tiny living things like bacteria and viruses.
She is known for her research on very serious infections. These include Ebola hemorrhagic fever, Lassa fever, and even smallpox. She also studied coronaviruses like Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). Dr. Hensley helps discover how these viruses make people sick. Then, she uses that knowledge to create new medicines to treat them.
Dr. Hensley grew up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Before joining the Army research team, she worked at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She also taught and did research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. There, she earned her PhD, which is a very high degree in science. She also worked at Duke University Medical Center.
In 1998, Dr. Hensley started working with the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID). She has written over 180 scientific papers with other scientists. These papers share new discoveries about many different infectious diseases. Today, she leads the Viral Therapeutics team at USAMRIID. This team works on treatments for viruses.
Fighting Dangerous Viruses
Dr. Hensley's work helps protect people from deadly viruses. In 2006, she helped write an article about the Marburg virus. This virus can cause a very severe illness. The study looked at a new vaccine for Marburg. A vaccine helps your body fight off a virus before you get sick.
The scientists tested the vaccine on monkeys. Monkeys who got the vaccine survived the Marburg virus. The monkeys who did not get the vaccine sadly died. This showed the vaccine could be very helpful.
In 2005, Dr. Hensley also worked on a paper about a vaccine for Lassa fever. There is currently no approved vaccine for Lassa fever. The vaccine they tested helped protect monkeys from the virus. The monkeys did not get sick when they were exposed to Lassa.
A Book About Her!
Dr. Hensley is even featured in a book! Journalist Richard Preston wrote a book called Demon in the Freezer in 2002. This book talks about the history of smallpox. Smallpox is a very old and dangerous disease that has been mostly wiped out.
Chapter 5 of the book is called "A Woman With a Peaceful Life." It tells the story of Dr. Hensley's early days as a researcher. It explains how she joined a team to study smallpox. Dr. Hensley was part of the first team to infect monkeys with smallpox. This experiment showed that scientists could still study the virus in animals. This research helps scientists learn more about smallpox.
Awards and Recognition
Dr. Lisa Hensley has received special awards for her important work. In 2007, she was named one of the "Ten Outstanding Young Americans" (TOYA). This award honors Americans between 18 and 40 years old. It celebrates young people who show the best qualities of the nation.
In 2008, she was also chosen as one of the "TOYP" (Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World). This award is given by JCI (Junior Chamber International). It recognizes young people from all over the world. These young people are excellent in their fields and show great qualities.
