June 2026

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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.”

This appreciation led her to join the Center for Infectious Disease Research (CeIDeR) team at Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute (HHRI). After completing her clinical Infectious Disease Fellowship and two years of research postdoctoral work, Dr. Zychowski was eager to return to Minnesota—a state that is a hotbed for tick-borne diseases.

Awards & Honors

Dr. Kerry Sheets awarded by the American Geriatrics Society

Congratulations to Geriatrician Kerry Sheets, MD, who recently received the Health in Aging Foundation's New Investigator Award from the American Geriatrics Society (AGS).

This award was awarded to four recipients, including Dr. Sheets, recognizing and honoring innovative research and advancements in the field of geriatrics. Her research focuses on healthy, functional aging and on improving both physical and cognitive health in older adults to support independence as they age.

Spotlight

Recognizing Excellence

Recent Presentations

• Peter Bodurtha, MPP, presented on the role of safety net hospitals in data collaboratives at the America's Essential Hospitals Conference, Vital 2026, highlighting Hennepin Healthcare's role in the Minnesota Electronic Health Records Consortium. The poster presentation was aimed at encouraging safety net hospitals across the United States to lend their unique perspectives to data collaboration.

• CDRG biostatisticians and researchers Nicholas Wood, PhD; Maria Masotti, PhD; Grace Lyden, PhD; Allyson Hart, MD, MS; and Cory Schaffhausen, PhD, recently presented at the 2026 American Transplant Congress (ATC) in Boston on a variety of transplantation topics. ATC brings together healthcare professionals in all areas of transplantation to exchange scientific and clinical information related to solid organ and tissue transplantation.

Recent Publications

• Gretchen Buchanan, PhD, LMFT, LADC; Mia Grenfell, BS; Kadija Mussa, PhD student; Sandra Japuntich, PhD, LP; and Helen Kim, MD,presented on their award-winning poster, "Empowered Hearts: Co-Creating Care for Black Moms with Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy," at the 2026 C2DREAM P50 Conference. Their poster won the People's Choice Top Poster Award. The poster discussed their study on how "Black women in America are 2.5 times more likely to die from and 1.7 times more likely to suffer from pregnancy-related complications such as hypertension and preeclampsia than white women." The study's goal is to understand the needs and goals of Black pregnant and postpartum women with hypertension and their healthcare teams.

• HHRI's Chronic Disease Research Group (CDRG) staff, Jon Snyder, PhD; Kirsten Johansen, MD; James B. Wetmore, MD, MS; David T. Gilbertson, PhD; Suyling Li, PhD; Jiannong Liu, PhD; and Nicholas S. Roetker, PhD, co-authored the article "US Renal Data System 2025 Annual Data Report: Epidemiology of Kidney Disease in the United States" in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases. The report explores quantitative data from 2025 on topics such as occurrence, mortality rates, Medicare/Medicaid coverage, how many individuals receive treatment, and more regarding chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD).

• Jenell Stewart, DO, MPH, co-authored a research letter for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Emerging Infectious Diseases journal. The letter "Neisseria gonorrhoeae Sequence Type 16676 in Disseminated Infections, Minnesota, USA, 2025," summarized an outbreak investigation of the novel genetic strain of Neisseria gonorrhoeae sequence type 16676, which rapidly emerged in Minnesota, and carried a tetracycline-resistant gene. The findings highlight the importance of genomic surveillance in identifying and tracking emerging infectious disease threats.

In the Media

• Diana Zychowski, MD, MPH, was interviewed on MPR News about the recent upward trend of tick-borne diseases. Warmer temperatures, more outdoor activity, and shifting tick behavior are contributing to a rise in tick bites and related illnesses across the state. Read and listen to the interview.

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