Sheryl Henderson, MD, PhD

Sheryl Henderson, MD, is a UW Health Kids pediatric infectious disease doctor. Dr. Henderson diagnoses and treats children with viral, bacterial and fungal infections. To diagnose complex infections and determine the cause, she will often consider where the child has been and whether they’ve been around others who are sick.

Dr. Henderson also cares for children and teens with HIV. As an HIV specialist, she serves as medical director of the Pediatric, Adolescent, and Young Adult Program with the HIV Care and Prevention Clinic at UW Health. During her first visit with patients, Dr. Henderson works to get to know the children and families and listens to their concerns and teams up with other physicians and pharmacists to determine the safest way to treat children with antibiotics. She takes those concerns into account while caring for them and creating treatment plans. Their goal is to reduce side effects and antibiotic resistance.

In addition to patient care, Dr. Henderson serves as an associate professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Department of Pediatrics.

It’s exciting to work as a detective — putting together clues about the child’s illness and coming up with a diagnosis or treatment that will help them feel better.