3 nurse-led teams conduct research at Minnesota State Fair
August 4, 2026
Professor Wendy Looman conducting research at a previous Minnesota State Fair.
Three nurse-led teams will be conducting research at this year’s Minnesota State Fair, which runs Aug. 27-Sept. 7.
Since 2014, nearly 200,000 fairgoers have taken part in 500 studies at the University of Minnesota's State Fair Research Facility on the fairgrounds in St. Paul. This year, fairgoers can take part in more than 60 studies, including three studies led by researchers from the School of Nursing.
Project CONNECT
Professor Wendy Looman, PhD, APRN, CPNP-PC, and Clinical Associate Professor Elena Geiger-Simpson, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC, will be leading Project CONNECT: Help Shape the Future of Teen Mental Health. They will be asking teens and parents of teens to complete an anonymous survey and give them feedback on the design and content of newly developed materials for a future parent-teen intervention.
They will be at the State Fair Research Facility on Aug. 28 at 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Aug. 30 at 9 a.m.-2 p.m. and Sept. 5, 2:30-9 p.m.
North Rising
Doctor of Nursing Practice student Jasmine Price and Professor Wendy Looman, PhD, APRN, CPNP-PC, will be leading North Rising: Youth Perspectives on Health Care Access in Minnesota. They will be seeking to understand why some youth wait too long or don’t seek healthcare. They will be asking people who are 14-22 years old to share their healthcare experiences to help identify barriers and supports to accessing healthcare to create systems that feel safe.
They will be at the State Fair Research Facility on Aug. 28 at 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Aug. 30 at 9 a.m.-2 p.m. and Sept. 2 at 2:30–9 p.m.
The Blue-Ribbon Bladder Study
Professor Kristine Talley, PhD, RN, GNP-BC, will be leading The Blue-Ribbon Bladder Study: Understanding Women’s Self Care. The project is seeking to understand how women handle daily bladder issues to find better ways for them to stay comfortable and healthy.
She will be at the State Fair Research Facility on Aug. 28 at 2:30-9 p.m., Aug. 29 at 2:30-9 p.m., Aug. 31 at 9 a.m.-2 p.m. and Sept. 3 at 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
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