Advisory Council Spotlight: Brandon G. Henry on Building Pathways into Health Professions

As SHLI deepens its partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation through the DEI in Health Professions initiative, we're introducing the people driving that work nationally — starting with Advisory Council member Brandon G. Henry.

About Brandon

Professor Brandon G. Henry is a biology educator, researcher, and academic leader with more than a decade of experience in STEM education. He serves as Assistant Professor of Biology at Albany State University, eCore Instructor for the University System of Georgia, and Senior Instructor at Ultimate Medical Academy. His expertise spans anatomy, physiology, histology, and online science instruction, with a focus on mentorship and student success. Prof. Henry holds degrees in Biomedical Engineering and Biology, plus a Higher Education Teaching Certificate from Harvard University — a background that shows up directly in the pipeline programs he's built to get students into health careers.

Focus areas: STEM Education · Health Professions Pipelines · Mentorship · Health Equity · Pre-med Advising · Diversity in Medicine

Key Programs

Brandon leads or contributes to several pipeline programs connecting students to medical careers, including one built in direct partnership with Morehouse School of Medicine:

• Meharry Medical College BS/MD Program — Develops students with strong credentials, competitive MCAT scores, and leadership attributes to be highly competitive for medical school admission.
• Aspiring Scholars in Undergraduate Pre-Medicine (ASUP) — A collaboration between Albany State University, Morehouse School of Medicine, and the University of Connecticut combining academic enrichment, professional development, and cultural engagement.
• Undergraduate Health Sciences Academy (UHSA) — Prepares students for medical school with success coaching, MCAT prep, mentorship, shadowing, and volunteer experiences, with statewide partnerships currently expanding.
• MOU with Augusta University AIM Program — An early assurance pathway into the Medical College of Georgia for selected ASU undergraduates with a strong interest in medicine.
• Minority Association of Pre-medical Students (MAPS) — A division of the Student National Medical Association that increases diversity in healthcare through mentorship, leadership development, community service, and pipeline programs addressing health disparities.

By the Numbers

• 5 active DEI programs and pipelines
• 4 institutional partner agreements
• 10+ years in STEM education

Opportunities for Collaboration

Brandon is actively looking to grow these partnerships:

• ASUP programmatic support (Summer 2027) — seeking institutional and community partners for sponsorship, programming, and direct engagement.
• UHSA speakers, panelists, and clinical exposure (ongoing) — looking for guest speakers, panelists, and clinical exposure partners to enrich the student experience and broaden pathways into healthcare careers.

If you or your organization want to get involved, reach out to Brandon directly at brandon.henry@asurams.edu or learn more about his work at Albany State University at asurams.edu.

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Brandon G. Henry serves on the Advisory Council for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's DEI in Health Professions initiative, a partnership SHLI is proud to support.

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