2025 Year in Review: Recognizing Excellence
HHRI researchers are MDs, MD/PhDs, PhDs, PharmDs, and other medical and science professionals working to advance medical knowledge and improve the care patients receive. HHRI investigators and staff continued to make an impact throughout 2025—receiving a significant number of new and renewing sponsored awards, publishing regularly in peer-reviewed journals, leading prestigious work groups, and sharing their expertise and insights through presentations, press interviews, and media appearances. This roundup highlights just some of those accomplishments and engagements.
AWARDS
Derek Lumbard, MD, Department of Surgery, Hennepin Healthcare
The Hennepin Trauma Surgery Research Group with the Next Step Program and community partners Empower Therapeutic Support Services, Inc. and Wellspring Second Chance Center, have been awarded a Kaiser Permanente Center for Gun Violence Research and Education Grant of $299,096 for a two-year study, "Extending the Harriet Program Through Peer Mentorship: A Survivor-Led Model for Sustained Engagement and Recovery."
Trauma and Critical Care Surgeon and HHRI Research Scholar Derek Lumbard, MD, FACS; HHRI Research Scientist and PhD candidate Kadija S. Mussa, PhD, MS, LAFMT; and community leaders Cedric Weatherspoon, DMFT, LMFT, and Deseria Galloway, MS, BS, will conduct the study.
The study aims to improve and expand clinical recovery support for firearm violence survivors by establishing long-term connections with peer mentors who are also survivors. This initiative will design and implement a survivor mentorship curriculum and evaluate its effects on health outcomes for both mentors and mentees.
Vascular neurologist; brain and stroke researcher, Behnam Sabayan, MD, MSc, PhD
Internist, pediatrician, & Co-Director of the Health, HHCJ Lab, Tyler Winkelman, MD, MSc
Behnam Sabayan, MD, MSc, PhD, and Tyler Winkelman, MD, MSc, have been awarded $587,334 from Lilly Grant Office (the giving foundation of Eli Lilly) for a one-year study, "Early Onset Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias: A Population-Based Approach to Identify Characteristics and Risk Factors." Dr. Sabayan, a vascular neurologist, and Dr. Winkelman, an internist, pediatrician, and co-director of the Health, Homelessness, and Criminal Justice (HHCJ) Lab, are both Principal Investigators on the study.
Former Chief of Neurosurgery, Former Medical Director of the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Center, and Neurosurgery Professor, Gaylan Rockswold, MD, PhD
Gaylan Rockswold, MD, PhD, was awarded a Research and Development Grant (U01) from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) to continue the Hyperbaric Oxygen Brain Injury Treatment Trial (HOBIT) study. The trial was granted additional funds of $1,740,714 for 2025-26, and with subsequent four-year milestone achievements, could receive a total of $6,147,911 in NIH funding.
In this continuation, the trial seeks to reach its target sample size of 200 participants. Its primary goals are to find the best oxygen treatment settings and compare the six-month results of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBO2) treatment to standard care. Additional objectives include determining effective treatment models, as well as analyzing intracranial pressure, brain tissue oxygen levels, and the rates of serious adverse events.
(left-hand side) Pathologist and hematologist, Sarah Drawz, MD, & Cardiac biomarker researcher, Fred Apple, PhD, DABCC (right-hand side)
Pathology Department Chair Sarah Drawz, MD, PhD, was appointed the Ann and Ira Endowed Scholar in Laboratory Medicine and Pathology. The $1 million endowed scholar was chosen by the endowment creator Fred Apple, PhD, DABCC.
Dr. Drawz is board-certified in anatomic and clinical pathology with a specialty in cytogenetics (the study of abnormal DNA chromosomes) and hematopathology (the pathology of blood, bone marrow, and lymph node diseases).
The purpose of the endowment is to promote excellence in the field of laboratory medicine at the Hennepin Healthcare System and support the scholar’s professional development and research projects.
Addiction pharmacologist, Andrew C. Harris, PhD
Experiential psychologist and behavioral pharmacologist, Mark LeSage, PhD
Electronic Nicotine Delivery System (ENDS), more commonly known as vapes, vape pens, electronic cigarettes, e-cigarettes, or e-cigs, are products marketed as healthier alternatives to smoking, but they still contain nicotine and other substances that are harmful to people’s health. Since they’ve only been in the U.S. market since 2007, the adverse long-term effects on the 15% of people using ENDS during pregnancy are relatively unknown.
It's this topic that Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute (HHRI) Investigators Mark LeSage, PhD, and Andy Harris, PhD, are studying through a Research Project Grant Program (R01) award of $3,177,765 from the NIH, National Institute on Drug Abuse. In their study, “Effects of maternal e-cigarette aerosol exposure on nicotine’s addiction-related behavioral and neurobiological effects in offspring,” Dr. LeSage and Dr. Harris will provide data on the potential risk for neurobiological, addiction-related behaviors, and genetic changes in the children of parents who use ENDS during pregnancy.
While ENDS contain lower levels of nicotine than traditional cigarettes, the added chemicals (propylene glycol, ethanol, flavorings, and toxic byproducts) may pose even higher levels of risk to pregnant individuals. The study will examine genetic variations and gene expression due to the use of ENDS and potential neurobiological impacts on behavior, such as ADHD, impulsivity-related disorders, and tobacco addiction, through a control group of non-nicotine ENDS aerosols and nicotine-containing ENDS aerosols. This study will provide new insights to the public and the FDA about the risks of using ENDS during pregnancy.
Internist and HHCJ Co-Director, Kate Diaz-Vickery, MD, MSc
Among the millions of Americans who experience homelessness each year, thousands die prematurely from diabetes at a rate of 3 to 6 times higher than the general population. Principal Investigator and Co-Director of HHRI’s Health, Homelessness, and Criminal Justice (HHCJ) Lab, Kate Diaz Vickery, MD, MSc, has received a five-year Research Project Grant Program (R01) award of $2,886,001 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH); National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), to study the effectiveness of the Diabetes Homeless Medication Support (D-HOMES) coaching program to improve blood sugar control and psychological well-being among adults living with type 2 diabetes who have experienced homelessness.
Dr. Vickery and the community-engaged research team Quorum developed and pilot-tested the D-HOMES program. Quorum, comprised of internal research staff and external community stakeholders, including those with lived experience, has identified key individual and structural barriers to glycemic control for people experiencing homelessness. These barriers include access to medication, medication compliance, psychological distress, and competing demands such as shelter, safety, and food.
HONORS
Nephrologist Christopher Knapp, MD, MPH
Hennepin Healthcare Department of Nephrology and Hypertension physician, Christopher Knapp, MD, MPH, was selected as one of the 2026 University of Minnesota's (UMN) Clinical and Translational Science Institute's (CTSI) K12 Scholars.
The K12 Scholars Career Development Program offers a three-year training and funding opportunity designed to help early-stage UMN investigators build a lasting career in clinical and translational research.
Director of Cardiometabolic Program, Jason V. Baker, MD, MS
Jason Baker, MD, MS, led the work group that developed a new section on cardiometabolic health added to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services updated 2025 "Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in Adults and Adolescents with HIV.”
The new section is titled, “Cardiovascular and Metabolic Complications in People With HIV,” and it provides guidance on preventing and managing cardiovascular and metabolic complications in people with HIV.
As people with HIV live longer, heart disease and weight-related issues are becoming more common. The updated federal guidelines offer strategies to manage these risks and improve cardiovascular health specifically for people living and aging with HIV.
CDRG Biostatistician Grace Lyden, PhD
CDRG Biostatistician, Nicholas Wood, PhD
Biostatisticians within the Chronic Disease Research Group (CDRG), Grace Lyden, PhD, and Nicholas Wood, PhD, were both selected by the Organ Donation and Transplantation Alliance (The Alliance) as 40 under 40 honorees in organ donation and transplantation.
Internist & chronic illness provider, Maarya Pasha, MD
Acute care and internal medicine physician Maarya Pasha, MD, has been awarded Hennepin Healthcare’s first-ever Department of Medicine (DOM), STARS (Scholarly Time and Research Support) grant for $100,000.
Starting June 1, 2025, this award allows Dr. Pasha to focus a portion of her time on progressing her crucial research on improving cardiometabolic health in faith communities. She hopes to make sustainable changes in patient care and reduce disparity gaps.
While everyone at Hennepin Healthcare and HHRI makes a difference every day, we want to give an extra shout-out to the physician-scientists featured in this year's prestigious Mpls.St.Paul Magazine and Minnesota Monthly's "2025 Top Doctors." These physicians were selected through a peer-nominated and juried process.
Mpls.St.Paul Magazine's 2025 Top Doctors
- Woubeshet Ayenew, MD, Cardiology
- Jason Baker, MD, MS, Infectious Diseases
- Ashley Bjorklund, MD; Pediatrics/Critical Care
- Anne Frosch, MD, MPH; Infectious Diseases
- Jacqueline Geissler, MD; Orthopedics
- Min Jeong Park Graf, MBBS; Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation/Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
- Samuel Maiser, MD; Neurology, ALS, & Neuropalliative Care
- James Miner, MD; Emergency Medicine
- Matthew Prekker, MD, MPH; Emergency Medicine, Pulmonary Nodule, Pulmonary/Lung
- Andrew Schmidt, MD; Orthopedics
- Meghan Walsh, MD, MPH; Hospitalist
Minnesota Monthly's 2025 Top Doctors
- Gavin Bart, MD, PhD; Addiction Medicine
- Allyson Hart, MD, MS; Nephrology
- Laura LaFave, MD; Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes
- Amanda Noska, MD, MPH; Infectious Diseases
- Kerry Sheets, MD; Geriatric Medicine
- Gautam Shroff, MBBS, FACC; Cardiology
- Tyler Winkelman, MD, MSc; General Internal Medicine
Infectious Disease researcher, Anne Frosch, MD, MPH
When Anne Frosch, MD, MPH, discovered that her father had pancreatic cancer in the middle of a global pandemic, she set out on a mission to discover, “Why do certain people respond better to vaccines than others?”
Vaccine efficacy has often been tested on younger, healthier people, but not on older adults with comorbidities.
Dr. Frosch is exploring the efficacy and dosages of vaccines on these different populations.
Read the full article in Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, "Top Doctors: Decoding Immunity," and scroll down the page to the section labeled "Personalizing Vaccines."
Director of Transplant Epidemiology, Jon Snyder, PhD, MS
The Organ Donation and Transplantation Alliance (“The Alliance” for short) brings together the organ donation, transplantation, and healthcare communities to cross-collaborate with each other by sharing knowledge and effective best practices, which in turn, benefit the lives of transplantation patients. Director of Transplant Epidemiology and Director of the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, Jon Snyder, PhD, earned The Alliance’s 2025 esteemed Transformational Leader Award.
This award honors and recognizes lifetime career achievement in organ donation and transplantation. Dr. Snyder has a long history (10+ years) with The Alliance, serving on the Board of Directors as Treasurer, as well as serving on multiple National Leadership Councils.
Please join us in congratulating the following HHRI physician-researchers who were named 2025 Mpls.St.Paul Magazine Rising Stars. You can see the full list of Hennepin Healthcare's Rising Stars here.
Derek Lumbard, MD, Department of Surgery, Hennepin Healthcare
Derek Lumbard, MD, FACS, is a surgeon-scientist specializing in trauma, critical care, and acute care surgery. Dr. Lumbard’s current research interests focus on improving care for the critically injured and understanding the underlying risk factors that contribute to gun violence, and developing evidence-based interventions that prevent firearm injuries and deaths.
Geriatrician Kerry Sheets, MD
Kerry Sheets, MD, is a geriatrician providing care for older adults in the Hennepin Healthcare clinic and in nursing homes. She has particular interests in complex chronic disease management, dementia, HIV, and functional impairment. Dr. Sheets' research interests are in dementia and blood-based dementia biomarkers, healthy aging, and HIV and aging.
PUBLICATIONS
Emergency and internal medicine physician, Brian Driver, MD
Emergency medicine and pulmonary and critical care physician, Matt Prekker, MD, MDH
Hennepin Healthcare emergency physicians and HHRI investigators Brian Driver, MD, and Matthew Prekker, MD, MPH, co-authored the article, "Ketamine or Etomidate for Tracheal Intubation of Critically Ill Adults," published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) on December 9, 2025.
The Randomized Trial of Sedative Choice for Intubation (RSI) found that doctors treating seriously ill patients in an emergency setting may want to give the sedative etomidate, rather than ketamine, while placing a breathing tube.
Go deeper: Sedative choice could improve outcomes for breathing tube patients
Chief of Emergency Medicine and Emergency Medicine physician, James R. Miner, MD
Hennepin Healthcare emergency physician and HHRI investigator James Miner, MD, authored an invited commentary on the original article, “Ketamine, Etomidate, and Mortality in Emergency Department Intubations,” published in JAMA Network Open on December 15, 2025. Dr. Miner’s commentary, “Ketamine, Etomidate, and the Outcomes That Matter in Emergency Intubation,” stated that while etomidate can maintain early hemodynamic stability, it may lead to higher mortality rates later on. Selecting a drug for emergency intubation should consider patient-specific risks in airway management.
Emergency Medicine physician, John L. Hick, MD
A new study, “Statewide Transfer Coordination and Patient Transfer Rates Among Hospitals During Occupancy Stress,” published in JAMA Network Open by Hennepin Healthcare emergency physician John Hick, MD, and collaborators on December 1, 2025, highlights how state medical operations coordination centers (SMOCCs) helped hospitals transfer patients more effectively during the COVID-19 pandemic surges.
Dr. Hick serves as Deputy Chief Medical Director for Hennepin EMS and the Medical Director for Emergency Preparedness at HCMC and is widely recognized for his expertise in disaster medicine and public-health readiness.
The study focused on SMOCCs created in eight states to manage patient transfers when hospitals became overwhelmed. Minnesota was excluded from the cohort of study states because Minnesota had previous reports of early adoption and successful operation of an SMOCC.
Geriatrician and dementia researcher, Anne Murray, MD, MSc
Anne Murray, MD, MSc, co-authored an article, "What is the Association Between Music-Related Leisure Activities and Dementia Risk," published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry on October 14, 2025.
The ASPREE Longitudinal Study of Older Persons looked at 10,000 relatively healthy people aged 70+ and found that people who listen to music most days cut their risk of developing dementia by 39% compared to those who did not regularly listen to music.
Multiple media outlets wrote stories about the study, including coverage in the Washington Post and The Hill.
Vascular neurologist, stroke, and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) researcher, Behnam Sabayan, MD, MSc, PhD
Behnam Sabayan, MD, MSc, PhD, FAHA, contributed to "Revised Diagnostic Criteria for Vascular Cognitive Impairment and Dementia — The VasCog-2-WSO Criteria" in the September 16, 2025, issue of JAMA Neurology. The study's purpose was to establish the updated criteria on the International Society for Vascular Behavioural and Cognitive Disorders (VasCog) to achieve consensus on the diagnosis of vascular cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID).
Internist, pediatrician & Co-Director of the Health, Homelessness, and Criminal Justice (HHCJ) Lab, Tyler Winkelman, MD, MSc
Tyler Winkelman, MD, MSc, co-authored an article, "Individual- and Area-Level Incarceration Mortality," published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open on June 3, 2025. The study found that people who were incarcerated faced significantly higher risks of death, particularly from overdoses, influenced by both their own incarceration and community incarceration rates.
PRESENTATIONS
Clinical psychologist and tobacco cessation researcher, Drew Busch, PhD, LP
Program Manager, Melissa Adkins-Hempel, BA, CTTS
Principal Investigator Drew Busch, PhD, LP, and Program Manager Melissa Adkins-Hempel traveled to the International Congress of Behavioral Medicine, held in Vienna, Austria, in August 2025, to present results from the Post-Acute Cardiac Event Smoking (PACES) study.
Adkins-Hempel presented a poster that showed preliminary results of a latent class analysis, which identified three clusters of health behavior activity among participants. These results underscore the need for flexible, multiple health behavior interventions that can address depressed mood when needed.
Chronic Disease Research Group (CDRG) investigators presented at the World Transplant Congress (WTC) in San Francisco, California, August 2-6, 2025.
- Grace Lyden, PhD, presented on: Exploring a New Framework for U.S. Heart Allocation: Development of an Evidence-Based Medical Urgency Score for Adult Heart Transplant Candidates.
- Nick Wood, PhD, presented on: Match-Run Analysis for Designing and Evaluating Allocation Policies.
- Jon Miller, PhD, MPH, presented on: Kidney Donor Failure Index: A Proposal for a New Way to Present Kidney Donor Risk Based on Kidney Donor.
The WTC brings together researchers, healthcare professionals, and experts from around the globe to share research, the latest advancements, and address challenges in organ transplantation.
CDRG Biostatistician, Grace Lyden, PhD
CDRG Biostatistician, Nicholas Wood, PhD
Biostatistician Jonathon Miller, PhD, MPH
The University of Minnesota Center for Learning Health System Sciences (CLHSS) held its largest-ever Advances in Learning Health System Sciences conference, taking place on September 22 and 23 at the University of Minnesota campus. The conference brought together 346 students, researchers, patients, government agency representatives, and healthcare professionals to discuss how to move forward in our work to improve patient care.
In attendance at the event were oral presenters from HHRI: Linda Zittleman, MSPH, and Renee Van Siclen, MPP. Renee spoke on “Ignite Session: Building Better Health Systems Through Data.” Linda spoke on “Building Partnerships Between Public Health and Healthcare.”
In addition to these speakers, Peter Bodurtha, MPP; Lucas Zellmer, MD; and Gretchen Buchanan, PhD, LMFT, LADC, all presented posters.
Redleaf Center Senior Researcher, Gretchen Buchanan, PhD, LMFT, LADC
Senior Data Scientist, Peter Bodurtha, MPP
Ella Casalenda, Senior Research Coordinator at HHRI's Health, Homelessness, and Criminal Justice (HHCJ) Lab
Health, Homelessness, and Criminal Justice (HHCJ) Lab Senior Research Coordinator Ella Casalenda, BSW, co-presented at the 2025 National Health Care for the Homeless Conference and Policy Symposium in May 2025 about how to create and sustain a community-based research group, otherwise known as a Quorum.
HHCJ has its very own Quorum to facilitate and guide research that promotes health equity for people with experiences of homelessness who are living with chronic illnesses such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or heart disease.
Read more about the National Health Care for the Homeless Conference.
A full house gathered on Friday, April 25, 2025, for Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute’s (HHRI) Research Symposium and Poster Session. This was a hybrid event, held in person and via TEAMS. The symposium kicked off with poster presentations and networking. It included a leadership update from Kirsten Johansen, MD, HHRI President.
Director of Nephrology at Hennepin Healthcare and HHRI President, Kirsten Johansen, MD
The leadership update was followed by presentations from researchers.
- Kristina Burrack, PhD, spoke about her ongoing research on malaria, the Plasmodium infection, and vaccination, and her recent voyage to Antarctica.
- Rachel Nygaard, PhD, discussed the impacts of frostbite during tissue freezing and unthawing, as well as the long-term impacts of frostbite, particularly among people experiencing homelessness.
- Dr. Kate Diaz Vickery, MD, MSc, delivered a presentation on how diabetes and homelessness are connected and D-HOMES, a diabetes wellness coaching program she designed with the community-engaged research team, Quroum.
IN THE NEWS
The ASPREE Longitudinal Study of Older Persons followed participants to investigate which factors are associated with the risks of developing various diseases — and to what extent lifestyle changes could make a difference.
Read more on the Washington Post.
Infectious disease and malaria researcher, Kristina Burrack, PhD
October 20, 2025 – Immunologist and malaria researcher, Kristina Burrack, PhD, spoke with fellow immunologist and podcast host, Catriona Vi Nguygen-Robertson (Dr. Cat), about malaria and how the immune system fights against it. Listen to the episode.
Derek Lumbard, MD, Department of Surgery, Hennepin Healthcare
June 25, 2025 – As the number of gunshot victims seen at Hennepin Healthcare in 2025 has increased, Derek Lumbard, MD, FACS, spoke about the Next Step Program, a hospital-based violence prevention program that is working with trauma care to connect gunshot survivors to services. Watch the interview and read the story here.
Chair, Department of Neurology, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) researcher, Samuel Maiser, MD
In the March 2025 episode of Patient Innovations, a podcast connecting the links between the patients, caregivers, and healthcare changemakers, they discussed the progressive neurogenerative condition, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Neurologist, ALS expert, and Chair of the Department of Neurology at Hennepin Healthcare Sam Maiser, MD, was featured as a subject-matter-expert. Tune in here.
Vascular neurologist, stroke, and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) researcher, Behnam Sabayan, MD, MSc, PhD
February 10, 2025 –What if you could stop a stroke before it happened? That’s what vascular neurologist Behnam Sabayan, MD, MSc, PhD, hopes the newly added imaging technology at Hennepin Healthcare, the Transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasound, will help do. TCD ultrasounds can measure the speed and direction of the brain’s blood flow, which in turn finds constricted blood vessels and abnormal blood flow patterns. This is all part of what’s being deemed the “SAVE-BRAIN” initiative. Learn more about it on the HennepinHealth Blog here.
Chair of Pediatrics and Pediatrician, Diana B. Cutts, MD
July 6, 2025 – Diana Cutts, MD, Hennepin Healthcare Chair of Pediatrics and a nationally recognized leader on the subject of food insecurity, and Amy Harris, Population Health Program Director and a champion of building healthier communities, discuss the impacts food insecurity has on children, parents, and society on Season 4, Episode 19 of the Healthy Matters podcast with David Hilden, MD, MPH, FACP. Tune in here.
Cardiologist Woubeshet Ayenew, MD
Internist and Healthy Matters' podcast host, David Hilden, MD, MPH, FACP
February 26, 2025 – Cardiologist Woubeshet Ayenew, MD, was interviewed on the Healthy Matters podcast with David Hilden, MD, MPH, FACP. Dive into what causes high blood pressure, or hypertension, and why it is so damaging to our bodies on Season 4, Episode 9. Tune in here.
Emergency medicine and pulmonary and critical care physician, Matt Prekker, MD, MDH
February 27, 2025 -- During the pandemic, the initial vaccines appeared 70% to 90% effective at preventing admissions, but at that point, few people had exposure to the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, said Dr. Matthew Prekker, an HCMC physician and a coauthor of the report.
Now that most people have been infected, “there is a baseline level of immunity in the community, even independent of vaccination status,” he said. “So the fact that the current vaccine is providing additional protection, even on the margins, is really important.”
Read more on The Minnesota Star Tribune.