Dr. Amanda Herrmann is a Research Associate at the HealthPartners Neuroscience Center and an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Minnesota. She received her doctorate degree in Health and Rehabilitation Science from the Medical University of South Carolina and her master’s and bachelor’s degrees in Kinesiology from the University of Minnesota.

Dr. Herrmann’s research is primarily focused on complementary and alternative treatments for people with neurological disorders. She currently serves as principal investigator on two trials of acupuncture treatment for individuals with traumatic brain injury suffering from chronic post-traumatic headache (MN Office of Higher Education SCI/TBI grant program) and myasthenia gravis (Park Nicollet Foundation). She is also the Co-PI of a study examining the potential impact of a 12-week adaptive exercise program in reducing chronic inflammation in people with spinal cord injuries (MN Office of Higher Education SCI/TBI grant program). She also serves as a co-investigator on several federally funded studies including Mindfulness-Based Dementia Care Partner Program to Reduce Depressive Symptoms (National Institute on Aging (NIA) IMbedded Pragmatic Alzheimer's disease (AD) and AD-Related Dementias (AD/ADRD) Clinical Trials (IMPACT) Collaboratory/U54AG063546) and HealthPartners collaboration with the University of Minnesota, Courage Kenny/Allina Health, and Mayo on the Minnesota Regional Spinal Cord Injury Model System (National Institute on Disability & Rehabilitation Research/90SIMS0008-01-00).

Conducting Institute research since 2018

Education and training: 
PhD, Health and Rehabilitation Science, Medical University of South Carolina
MS, BS, Kinesiology, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.

Affiliations:  Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.

Research interests: Dr. Herrmann’s research interests include neurorehabilitation research – improving rehabilitation outcomes for patients with neurological disorders.

Current research activities and funding:

Principal Investigator:

• Acupuncture Treatment for Individuals with Myasthenia Gravis (2021-2024). Funding Source: HealthPartners Park Nicollet Foundation.
• Acupuncture Treatment for Chronic Post-traumatic Headache in Individuals with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (2019-2023). Funding Source: Minnesota Office of Higher Education.
• The Effect of an Adaptive Exercise Program on Chronic Inflammation in Spinal Cord Injury (2021-2024). Funding Source: Minnesota Office of Higher Education. Co-PI with Dr. Steven Jackson.

Site Principal Investigator (PI):

• Feasibility of a purpose in life renewal intervention for adults with post-concussion syndrome (2022-2024). Funding Source: Minnesota Office of Higher Education. Prime Site: Allina Health. PI: Dr. Mary Radomski.
• Remotely Delivered Cognitive Multisensory Rehabilitation for Sensory and Motor Recovery after Spinal Cord Injury (2022-2024). Funding Source: Minnesota Office of Higher Education. Prime Site: University of Minnesota. PI: Dr. Ann Van de Winckel.

Co-Investigator:

• Virtual Reality Cognitive Therapy for Alzheimer's Disease (2022-2023). Funding Source: National Institute on Aging. Site PI: Dr. Leah Hanson.
• Minnesota Regional Spinal Cord Injury Model System (2021-2026). Funding Source: National Institute on Disability Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research. Site PI: Dr. Leah Hanson.
• Mindfulness-Based Dementia Care Partner Program to Reduce Depressive Symptoms (2021-2022). Funding Source: National Institute on Aging (NIA) IMbedded Pragmatic Alzheimer's disease (AD) and AD-Related Dementias (AD/ADRD) Clinical Trials (IMPACT) Collaboratory. PI: Dr. Leah Hanson.