In his PhD Henry is applying his background in evolutionary genomics to the study of Helicoverpa, a genus of highly invasive noctuid moths responsible for more than USD$5 billion in crop loss annually, affecting nearly 200 plant species. Broadly, Henry has two equally important aims:

1. To develop population genomic data-driven approaches for modelling, monitoring and managing the spread of invasive species that threaten ecosystems and agro-economies
    

2. To characterise poorly understood evolutionary phenomena by studying invasive species as mass-scale and otherwise impossible ecological experiments 

Henry is particularly interested in the recent incursions of the Afro-Eurasian species Helicoverpa armigera into Brazil, where it hybridizes with native H. zea despite the two species being textbook examples of reproductive incompatibility. Henry and his colleagues have shown that this hybridization event introduced foreign alleles encoding pesticide resistance into the local gene pool. The resulting hybrids – locally adapted but resistant to pesticides – caused major crop damage. Shortly after their detection, a state of disaster declared in the agricultural states of Mato Grosso and Bahia. If these hybrids were to spread into North America, the financial toll is estimated to exceed USD$70 billion.

Henry says “The ongoing evolution of Helicoverpa in Latin America presents a major agricultural challenge. Devastating nonetheless, it is also a natural laboratory for the study of rapid evolution.” In October Henry started as a Research Fellow at Girton College, Cambridge. His research is on the evolution of invasive species and pesticide resistance in agricultural pests, and delivers lectures in the Department of Zoology at Cambridge. 

In 2014 Henry was invited to attend Elanora High School’s annual Academic Awards evening, as the keynote speaker.

Henry has co-authored a number of publications in his chosen field.