2026 Brain Health Awareness Day: Brain Health Starts with Us
Hennepin Healthcare hosted its first Brain Health Awareness Day on January 22, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. CST at the Hennepin Healthcare Clinic and Specialty Center, and on Microsoft Teams. The event brought together community partners, clinicians, researchers, patients, caregivers, and staff to share the latest evidence on how to preserve and promote lifelong brain health through interactive activities. The event highlighted practical strategies for prevention and early detection of stroke and dementia, with a strong focus on managing cardiovascular risk factors such as blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, physical activity, and sleep.
Several HHRI investigators and program staff were in attendance, including Director of the Brain Health and Cerebrovascular Care Lab, Behnam Sabayan, MD, MSc, PhD, FAHA; Neurology and ALS Researcher, Samuel Maiser, MD; and Co-Director of the Behavioral Health Equity Research Group (BHERG) and Clinical Psychologist, Sandra Japuntich, PhD, LP; and the Berman Center for Clinical Outcomes and Research Project Manager, Mike Wambua.
Special thanks to the local community partners in attendance, including Alzheimer's Association (Minnesota-North Dakota Chapter), American Academy of Neurology, American Heart Association, Epilepsy Foundation, Minnesota Brain Injury Alliance, Minnesota Department of Health, and Zoom Twin Cities. We invite all partners and community members to join us for future events and initiatives as we continue working together to promote brain health in our community.
The event featured 10-minute talks with five-minute Q&As, including presentations from HHRI researchers:
- Brain Healthcare at Hennepin Healthcare, presented by Dr. Maiser
- Dementia and Stroke Prevention, presented by Dr. Sabayan
- Patients and Caregivers’ Perspectives, presented by Dr. Japuntich
