Dr. Kendi Hensel received her DO from Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. After completing a traditional rotating internship in Oklahoma City, she moved to the University of New England, and was one of the first graduates from a combined Family Practice and Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine residencies. After achieving board certification in both specialties, she returned to her native Texas in 2004 to join the faculty of the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (TCOM) at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. She has worked as an investigator and treatment provider on several clinical research studies on OMM. In 2006 she became the first DO to receive a K23 Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award from the NIH-NCCIH. This project studied the effects of OMM on pregnant women.
Dr. Hensel received her PhD in OMM Clinical Research and Education in 2009 from UNTHSC-Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. She served as the 2019-2020 President of the American Academy of Osteopathy, and served 6 years as a Section Editor of the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in academia, working with osteopathic medical students and residents throughout their training. She is currently involved in clinical, educational and research activities at TCOM, and in national efforts to improve the evidence base and utilization of OMT in patient care.