Halfway Through 2026: A Look Back at HHRI’s Year So Far
If you can believe it, we’re already more than halfway through 2026! In case you missed it (ICYMI), here’s a curated round-up of some of HHRI’s biggest stories from the first half of the year.
Cold Realities: How Science and Speed Save Lives in Frostbite Emergencies
Living in Minnesota is not for the faint of heart, with temperatures frequently plummeting to 20 degrees below zero F, and with wind chills, it can drop as low as 50 degrees below zero F. With extreme temperatures such as these, it’s no wonder that frostbite becomes a problem during the winter months. However, with the help of internationally recognized researcher Rachel Nygaard, PhD, who specializes in frostbite, burn, and violent injury prevention, she hopes to mitigate the severity of frostbite seen in Hennepin Healthcare’s patients.
Where Science Meets Care: How the CeIDeR Team is Shaping the Future of Infectious Disease Treatment
The Center for Infectious Disease Research (CeIDeR), is one of many research programs within Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute (HHRI). CeIDeR’s mission “is to advance clinical care of infectious diseases by expanding our understanding of disease pathogenesis, as well as developing prevention, treatment, and implementation strategies to that end,” said Jason V. Baker, MD, MS. Dr. Baker is a physician-scientist who has been the Director of CeIDeR since it was formed in 2024.
National Kidney Month Highlights Dr. Kirsten Johansen’s Work to Improve Life for Kidney Disease Patients
March is National Kidney Month, a time to raise awareness about kidney disease and the importance of early detection. For Kirsten Johansen, MD, nephrologist and president of Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute (HHRI), it’s also a reminder of the critical role research plays in improving the lives of patients living with kidney disease.
Johansen’s path to nephrology was not straightforward. After college, she spent two years working in liver-related research before deciding to pursue medicine. Once in medical school, she became fascinated by kidney physiology and the complex role the organs play in maintaining the body’s balance of fluids and electrolytes.
When Evidence Changes Practice: Rethinking Aspirin in Older Adults
Most people want to live long, healthy lives and age well. As a geriatrician, a doctor specializing in the care of older persons, Anne Murray, MD, MSc, has pursued research to help patients achieve a healthy lifespan, or an independent life without dementia or disability.
Dr. Murray is an internal medicine doctor and geriatrician at Hennepin Healthcare. She is also a dementia epidemiologist, studying how commonly different types of dementia and cognitive impairment (CI) occur in different populations and their risk factors to better understand how to prevent them. She is also Professor of Medicine and an Adjunct Professor of Neurology at the University of Minnesota, and the Medical Director of Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute’s (HHRI’s) Berman Center for Outcomes and Clinical Research (Berman Center).
Tiny Ticks, Big Impact: Diana Zychowski Studies the Rise of Tick-Borne Diseases
Diana Zychowski, MD, MPH, was drawn to the field of infectious diseases because of how dynamic and interdisciplinary the field is—it sits at the intersection of microbiology, public health, informatics, epidemiology, and patient care.
After Dr. Zychowski graduated from college, she worked as a Research Technologist in an infectious disease laboratory.
“Working alongside physician-scientists, I saw firsthand how research could bridge the gap between the laboratory and patient care,” said Zychowski. “What really resonated with me was the ability to translate scientific discoveries into meaningful improvements in public health and clinical practice.”
Summer is the Deadliest Season for Brain Injury and Dr. Gaylan Rockswold is Working to Change What Happens Next
Memorial Day weekend has come and gone, and with that has come a familiar shift at Hennepin Healthcare's emergency department.
Motorcycles hit the road. People take risks they wouldn't take in February. And when things go wrong, some of those people arrive at Hennepin in a coma, their brains swollen and bleeding, with families in waiting rooms who haven't yet absorbed what is happening.
Gaylan Rockswold, MD, PhD, has seen it more times than he can count.
"When people start doing crazy things, that's when it happens," said Rockswold, a neurosurgeon and principal investigator at Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute (HHRI). "The summer months, Memorial Day weekend, classic. Fall can be busy too. It's seasonal, but not always predictable."