Tiffany Hensley-McBain, PhD

Education 

Montana State University, BS, Cell Biology and Neuroscience, 2010

University of Washington, PhD, Molecular and Cellular Biology, 2017

Assistant Professor

  • Assistant Professor

    Director, Clinical and Student Research

    Associate Course Director Immunology, Touro COM Montana

  • The Hensley-McBain laboratory is focused on defining the key inflammatory factors that drive end-organ damage in chronic age-related diseases. Our goal is to discover new therapeutic targets and treatments to alleviate the burden of neurodegenerative and cardiometabolic diseases and promote healthy aging. Our specific objectives are to:

    • Develop new therapies and diagnostics for Alzheimer’s disease and other age-related diseases by increasing our understanding of inflammation and age

    • Bring Clinical Trials in Alzheimer’s disease and neurodegeneration to the state of Montana through the expansion of the Montana Center for Aging Research and Education

    • Provide an avenue for future generations of Montana scientists to pursue research through outreach, training, and teaching

    • Contribute to the success of Touro COM-Montana as the first medical school in the state and the success of Touro COM-Montana students through teaching and mentoring student-driven research projects.

    The Hensley-McBain laboratory is funded by a National Institutes of Health grant from the National Institute of Aging. We are also generously supported by the Center for Integrated Biomedical Research and Rural Health Research at the McLaughlin Research Institute, which is funded by the National Institute Of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health.

  • Complete list of published work.

    Cook M, Aries M, Hensley-McBain T. Peripheral Low Level Chronic LPS Injection as a Model of Neutrophil Activation in the Periphery and Brain in Mice. Res Sp [Preprint]. 2023;19:rs.3.rs-3443401.

    Aries M and Hensley-McBain T. Neutrophils as a potential therapeutic target in Alzheimer's disease. Frontiers in Immunology. 2023; 14:1123149.

    Cook M, Hensley-McBain T, Grindeland A. Mouse models of chronic wasting disease: A review. 2023; 3:1055487.

    Song H, Ling W, Zhao N, Plantinga AM, Broedlow CA, Klatt NR, Hensley-McBain T, Wu MC. Accommodating multiple potential normalizations in microbiome associations studies. BMC Bioinformatics. 2023;24:22

    Berard AR, Hensley-McBain T, Noel-Romas L, Birse K, Abou M, Westmacott G, McCorriester S, Smedley J, Klatt NR, Burgener AD. Mass spectrometry analysis of gut tissue in acute SIV-infection in rhesus macaques identifies early proteome alterations preceding the interferon inflammatory response. Sci Rep. 2023;13:690.

    Cheu RK, Mohammadi A, Schifanella L, Broedlow C, Driscoll C, Miller CJ, Reeves KR, Yudin M, Hensley-McBain T, Kaul R, Klatt NR. Altered innate immunity and damaged epithelial integrity in vaginal microbial dysbiosis. Frontiers in Reproductive Health. Front Reprod Health. 2022;4:876729.

    Hensley-McBain T and Manuzak JA. Zonulin as a biomarker and potential therapeutic target in multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children. J Clin Invest. 2021;23:151467.

    Berard AR, Miller C, Arainga M, Broedlow CA, Noel-Romas L, Schifanella L, Hensley-McBain T, Roederer A, Driscoll C, Coronado E, Manuzak J, McKinnon LR, Villinger FJ, Hope TJ, Burgener AD, Klatt NR. Simian Immunodeficiency Virus susceptibility, immunology, and microbiome in the female genital tract of adolescent versus adult pigtail macaques. AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses. 2021;37:510.

    SahBandar IN, Chew GM, Corley MJ, Pang APS, Tsai N, Hanks N, Khadka VS, Klatt NR, Hensley-McBain T, Somsouk M, Vujkovic-Cvijin I, Chow DC, Shikuma CM, Ndhlovu LC. Changes in gastrointestinal microbial communities influence HIV-specific CD8+ T-cell responsiveness to immune checkpoint blockade. AIDS. 2020;34(10):1451-1460.

    Manuzak JA, Zevin AS, Cheu R, Richardson B, Modesitt Jn, Hensley-McBain T, Miller C, Gustin AT, Coronado E, Gott T, Fang M, Cartwright M, Wangari S, Agricola B, May D, Smith E, Hampel HB, Gale M, Cameron CM, Cameron MJ, Smedley J, Klatt NR. Antibiotic-induced microbiome perturbations are associated with significant alterations to colonic mucosal immunity in rhesus macaques. Mucosal Immunology. 2020;13(3):471-480.

    Bar KJ, Coronado E, Hensley-McBain T, O’Connor MA, Osborn JM, Miller C, Gott TM, Wangari S, Iwayama N, Ahrens CY, Smedley J, Moats C, Lynch RM, Haddad EK, Haigwood NL, Fuller DH, Shaw GM, Klatt NR, Manuzak JA. Simian-human immunodeficiency virus SHIV.CH505 infection of rhesus macaques results in persistent viral replication and induces intestinal immunopathology. Journal of Virology. 2019;93:e00372-19.

    Hensley-McBain T, Manuzak JA, Cheu RK, Gustin A, Zevin AS, Miller CM, Coronado E, Burgener AD, Somsouk M, Wu M, Hunt P, Collier A, Hope T, Klatt NR. Increased neutrophil lifespan as a mechanism for intestinal neutrophil accumulation in treated HIV infection. Plos Pathogens. 2019;14:e1007672.

    Manuzak JA, Gott TM, Kirkwood JS, Coronado E, Hensley-McBain T, Miller C, Cheu RK, Collier AC, Funderburg NT, Martin JN, Wu MC, Isoherranen N, Hunt PW, Klatt NR. Heavy cannabis use associated with reduction in activated and inflammatory immune cell frequencies in antiretroviral therapy-treated human immunodeficiency virus-infected individuals. Clin Infect Dis. 2018;66(12):1872-1882.

    Fisher BS, Green RR, Brown RR, Wood MP, Hensley-McBain T, Fisher C, Chang J, Miller AD, Bosche WJ, Lifson JD, Mavigner M, Miller CJ, Gale M Jr, Silvestri G, Chahroudi A, Klatt NR, Sodora DL. Liver macrophage-associated inflammation correlations with SIV burden and is substantially reduced following cART. PLoS Pathogens. 2018;14(2):e1006871.

    Hensley-McBain T and Klatt NR. The dual role of neutrophils in HIV infection. Curr HIV/AIDS Rep. 2018;15:1-10.

    Hensley-McBain T, Berard A, Manuzak JA, Miller CM, Zevin AS, Polacino P, Gile J, Agricola B, Cameron M, Hu S, Estes JD, Reeves K, Smedley J, Keele BF, Burgener AD, Klatt NR. Intestinal damage precedes mucosal immune dysfunction in SIV infection. Mucosal Immunology. 2018;11:1429.

    Zevin AS, Hensley-McBain T, Miller C, Smith E, Langevin S, Klatt NR. Antibiotic treatment disrupts bacterial communities in the colon and rectum of SIV-infected macaques. FEMS Microbiology Letters. 2017; fnx228.

    Astronomo RD, Santra S, Ballweber-Fleming L, Westerberg KG, Mach L, Hensley-McBain T, Sutherland L, Mildenberg B, Morton G, Yates NL, Mize GJ, Pollara J, Hladik F, Ochsenbauer C, Denny TN, Warrier R, Rerks-Ngarm S, Pitisuttithum P, Nitayapan S, Kaewkungwal J, Ferrari G, Shaw GM, Xia SM, Liao HX, Montefiori DC, Tomaras GD, Haynes BF, McElrath M Juliana. Neutralization Takes Precedence Over IgG or IgA Isotype-related Functions in Mucosal HIV-1 Antibody-mediated Protection. EBioMedicine. 2016;14:97–11.

    Hensley-McBain T, Zevin AS, Manuzak JA, Smith E, Gile J, Miller C., Agricola B, Katze M, Reeves RK, Kraft CS, Langevin S, Klatt N. 2016. The effects of fecal microbial transplantation on microbiome and immunity in SIV-infected macaques. Journal of Virology. 2016;90(10):4981-4989.

Dr. Hensley-McBain

While I am new to the AD research field,
I believe that my training outside of neurodegeneration brings a unique perspective.

Chronic Inflammation

Chronic inflammation, or long-term activation of the immune system, has been identified as one of the key pillars of aging, and is often an intermediate factor that contributes to the other  pillars. 

Inflammation increases as individuals age and results in increased risk of age-related diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. Our research investigates the mechanisms of increased inflammation in age and disease to identify new potential therapies or prevention strategies for these diseases. Our current research is focused on understanding how neutrophils, white blood cells, contribute to Alzheimer’s disease and how we can develop new therapies aimed at targeting neutrophil inflammation. However, neutrophils also contribute to other age-related diseases and may be a common factor among these overlapping disease states (depression, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, etc.), so we will be expanding these studies to extend beyond Alzheimer’s disease.

A newer project also seeks to understand the “fuel” that drives increased inflammation as persons age, through our studies identifying the immunogens of aging, which we have termed Agigens™. By identifying the drivers of age-related inflammation, we can develop therapeutics or preventative strategies that may reduce the risk of all age-related diseases rather than focusing on one disease at a time. 

Our research uses mouse models to understand disease mechanisms, and then we investigate those mechanisms further in persons with the disease through a collaborative studies with our clinical partners. With this translation to clinical research, we engage Montanans through outreach and provide them the opportunity to participate in research. This representation is important, as it ensures that data on these diseases is representative of individuals in our state.

In collaboration with Great Falls Clinic, Dr. Tiffany Hensley-McBain has launched a study investigating genetic and biological mechanisms of chronic inflammatory conditions, in which participants come in for a single blood draw.

Call Rebecca Brown, Clinical Research Coordinator, at (406) 454-6045

Or click the link below to join the HERO Registry for participation in this or future clinical studies!

Join our study!