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Grace Lyden

PhD
In 2025, I am answering the call to... build a more transparent, equitable, and data-driven transplant system.
Job Title: Biostatistician
Organization: Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute
Age: 32
Years in Donation and Transplantation: 5
What makes your career in organ donation and transplantation special? I have an unusual background for a biostatistician - In college, I majored in journalism, then worked as a newspaper reporter for a few years before graduate school. Journalism is all about communicating complex topics and essential information to the public, so they can make informed decisions. Today, that is still the core of what I do, albeit with more math and statistics. I explain complex analyses to OPTN committees so they can make fair, data-driven allocation policy. I design web decision aids based on state-of-the-art prediction models, but presented in a way that's accessible and useful for patients. And I help transplant programs understand SRTR risk adjustment so they can use our data to improve patient care. Data and statistics are powerful, especially in transplant, but can be meaningless or even harmful without clear communication. I love explaining statistics to non-statisticians, and my training as a journalist really taught me that skill.

Biography

Grace Lyden, PhD, is an Assistant Professor and Biostatistician at the Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute, where she plays a critical role in advancing data-driven strategies to improve equity and outcomes in organ transplantation. Through her expertise in statistical modeling and her commitment to ethical, patient-centered research, Dr. Lyden has earned a reputation as a thoughtful and collaborative leader in transplant analytics.

She was nominated for The Alliance 40 Under 40 by Dr. Jon Snyder, Director of Transplant Epidemiology at the Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute, who praised Lyden’s ability to translate complex statistical problems into actionable insights. “Grace has become a go-to expert for using data to answer the most important questions in transplantation,” wrote Dr. Snyder. “She is deeply trusted for her balanced, methodical approach, and she brings both clarity and compassion to every project she leads.”

Dr. Lyden has been instrumental in a number of national research initiatives that seek to evaluate and improve equity in access to transplant. Her work on disparities dashboards, predictive modeling, and organ utilization studies has contributed directly to policy development and institutional decision-making. Her colleagues frequently highlight her steady leadership, analytical integrity, and ability to create collaborative momentum around difficult questions.

Beyond her technical contributions, Dr. Lyden is deeply invested in developing tools and insights that lead to fairer outcomes for patients. She brings precision to her work, but also a sense of purpose rooted in ensuring that data is used ethically and effectively. Her mentorship of junior researchers and thoughtful engagement with clinical teams underscore her commitment to translating numbers into meaningful impact.

Grace Lyden’s career reflects the growing importance of data science in shaping the future of transplantation. With her keen analytical mind and her unwavering commitment to equity, she is helping ensure that research does more than inform — it transforms.