HHRI News & Press Releases
September 22, 2026 -- A transition is underway in the management of the nation's transplant data infrastructure. Publicis Sapient, a global digital business transformation company, is in the process of taking over fundamental elements of the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) contract, from the Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute (HHRI). The transition is currently in progress. The IT infrastructure transition is expected to be fully completed by December 1, 2026, with other contract element timelines yet to be determined.
SRTR is a vital national resource that supports the transplant community through comprehensive data analysis, with a core mission of improving patient outcomes and experience. It operates under a contract from the Division of Transplantation (DoT), Health Systems Bureau (HSB), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The registry provides program-specific reports on transplant programs and organ procurement organizations, offering wide-ranging information to clinicians, researchers, and patients.
HHRI has been a cornerstone of medical research since 1952, supporting and overseeing research conducted at HCMC, the flagship acute care and teaching hospital of the Hennepin Healthcare System in downtown Minneapolis. As one of the largest medical research nonprofits in Minnesota, HHRI often ranks in the top ten percent nationally of institutions receiving research grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The organization, through its Chronic Disease Research Group (CDRG), has operated SRTR for over 15 years with a steadfast commitment to its mission of transforming health and health care for all through ethical research and meaningful community partnerships.
The transition from HHRI to Publicis Sapient is being conducted collaboratively to ensure a seamless transfer of responsibilities and the continued integrity of SRTR's operations. Both organizations are dedicated to ensuring that the registry continues to provide reliable, data-driven insights that are essential for the transplant community and the patients they serve.
Further updates will be provided as the transition progresses.
More HHRI Research Highlights
HHRI investigators highlighted by CTSI as UMN Mothers Leading Science
Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute (HHRI) investigator Kerry Sheets, MD, Geriatrician, was featured in the University of Minnesota’s Clinical & Translational Science Institute (CTSI) news welcoming the sixth cohort of researcher-moms into Mothers Leading Science. This cohort is part of a yearlong leadership development program for research-intensive faculty in the health sciences…
Read More
How systemic barriers and social drivers significantly impact health more than other factors
The Health, Homelessness, & Criminal Justice (HHCJ) Lab is nestled within one of the largest medical research nonprofits in Minnesota, Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute (HHRI), which is connected to the Hennepin Healthcare System (HHS). HHCJ’s vision is “Thriving communities without health inequities driven by homelessness or criminal justice involvement.” This…
Read More
Cause of Death After Prison Release Differs from General Population
from Yale School of Medicine/Internal Medicine Reentry into the community can be an extraordinarily difficult process for the over 1 million adults incarcerated in U.S. prisons. These individuals face substantial barriers and strained social and familial relationships when returning to life outside of jail or prison that contribute to an…
Read More
HHRI in the community and on the air
Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute (HHRI) investigators shared their expertise as guests on radio programs and podcasts in recent months. Here are a few of those interviews. All Things Brains May 26, 2024 Vascular neurologist Behnam Sabayan, MD, MSc, PhD, FAHA, was featured on Hennepin Healthcare’s Healthy Matters – with Dr.…
Read More
Nature Communications co-author Dr. Casey Dorr speaks about pharmacogenomics in Indigenous communities
After nearly three years of collaboration and enduring five rounds of peer review from the first submission, Casey Dorr, PhD, a nephrology investigator and descendant of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, has achieved a monumental milestone. His name now graces a coveted co-author credit in the prestigious scholarly journal,…
Read More
Dr. David Darrow talks the future of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Research
A study that makes you smarter? That is what Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute (HHRI) Principal Investigator David Darrow, MD, MPH, is working towards in the StiMulating After Recovery from Traumatic brain injury (SMART) study. The SMART study, which aims to develop noninvasive therapies to improve cognitive abilities and decision-making after…
Read More
Dr. Kristina Burrack completes year-long STEMM leadership program, Homeward Bound
Rewinding to May 2023, malaria and immunologist researcher, Kristina Burrack, PhD, embarked on a journey of self-discovery, leadership, and growth when she joined the Australian-based leadership program for women in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine), Homeward Bound (HB). Dr. Burrack was part of the HB8 cohort, a year-long…
Read More
Dr. Jenell Stewart speaks about event-based PrEP for women at CROI 2024
At the 31st annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in Denver, Colo., March 3-6, Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute (HHRI) Investigator Jenell Stewart, DO, MPH, spoke about event-based PrEP for women and was interviewed by UK-based organization Aidsmap, who disseminates independent information on HIV and AIDS. Dr. Stewart is…
Read More
Dr. Behnam Sabayan talks to Susie Jones about brain health on WCCO Health Radio
Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute (HHRI) Investigator Behnam Sabayan, MD, MSc, PhD, FAHA, is a vascular neurologist and neuroepidemiologist. He was recently interviewed by news radio reporter, Susie Jones on strokes and answered listener questions around the topic. First, what is a stroke? A stroke is when blood flow to the…
Read More
Implementing community-engaged pharmacogenomics in Indigenous communities
Casey Dorr, PhD, is a nephrology investigator at Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute (HHRI) and first-generation descendant of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. He’s passionate about using innovative research in pharmacogenomics (PGx), the efficacy of medication based on genetic variations; to create inclusive precision medicine for Indigenous communities to reduce…
Read More
Dr. Kate Diaz Vickery named HHRI’s first Vice President of Engagement
HHRI is pleased to announce that Dr. Kate Diaz Vickery has been selected to serve as Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute’s (HHRI’s) first Vice President of Engagement. Dr. Vickery is a previous Hennepin Healthcare System (HHS) research scholar and HHRI investigator and Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota. She is…
Read More
Hitting the mark, setting standards for lifesaving care
From Hennepin Healthcare Newsroom – Our emergency department (ED) sets high standards for emergency and trauma care. As a teaching hospital caring for some of the most critically ill and injured patients from throughout the state, ED team members know a thing or two about delivering the best care most…
Read More
Dr. Casey Dorr featured in the Bemidji Pioneer
Casey Dorr, PhD, a Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute (HHRI) Investigator, was recently featured in a story in the Bemidji Pioneer. The piece highlighted his journey from a first-generation descendant of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe from Bemidji to becoming a scientist. Dr. Dorr hopes to inspire Indigenous students to…
Read More
HHRI’s own Moncies Franco, Sr., featured on MPR News
On voting day, November 7, 2023, Moncies Franco, Sr., from Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute’s (HHRI) Health, Homelessness, and Criminal Justice (HHCJ) Lab, was featured in a story on MPR News. The story highlighted his first vote since the passage of Minnesota’s Restore the Vote law in June 2023. Prior to…
Read More
Black Youth with Stethoscopes Youth Summit – Lifting Them to Their Peaks in Healthcare Careers
An uplifting dose excitement could be felt as 70 Twin Cities Black youth strolled down the halls of Hennepin Healthcare’s Clinic & Specialty Center. Their curiosity and hungry minds were also in full force November 4 at the Black Youth with Stethoscopes Youth Summit. The latest Hennepin Healthcare Talent Garden…
Read More
HHRI and HHS in the community
Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute (HHRI) and Hennepin Healthcare (HHS) recently participated in community outreach events during the summer and fall seasons. One of these events was Open Streets, a series of free and family-friendly events that advocate for street places that prioritize people. During Open Streets major thoroughfares are closed…
Read More
HHRI’s Summer Intern Janissa Thomas From Puerto Rico, Prepping for a Career in Research
For medical student Janissa Thomas, the road on her healthcare career journey started in Puerto Rico, a Caribbean island that’s an unincorporated territory of the United States, eventually leading to the mainland and a research opportunity in Minneapolis. Research is an area for which Thomas has a great passion. “I…
Read More
HHRI’s new Director of Training and Mentoring Dr. Sandra Japuntich sets goals to help junior research faculty succeed
Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute (HHRI) has always prided itself on being a teaching and mentoring organization, but is now shifting to a more codified and streamlined approach through the newly created Director of Training and Mentoring role. Tobacco dependence researcher, Sandra Japuntich, PhD, LP, will be spearheading this new position.…
Read More
Dr. Allyson Hart, Leading the “Heart” of Ethical Research for Hennepin Healthcare
Allyson Hart, MD, MS, a Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute (HHRI) investigator and Hennepin Healthcare nephrologist, is surging through the summer in wonderful ways as she reaches the second year of her role as Chair of the Hennepin Healthcare Institutional Review Board (IRB). IRBs are committees charged by the federal government…
Read More
Participants needed for study on reducing dementia risk and memory loss in the African American community
The Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute is currently conducting a study gathering needed information to learn how to prevent or reduce the risk and burden of dementia and memory loss in the African American community. Healthy Aging Through the Senior Years Study (HATS) is an opportunity for older African Americans in…
Read More