ONLINE HED: DiaMedica in Plymouth
Diabetes Awareness Month A group of Canadians and their diabetes research center bring sound research—and reminders—to Plymouth.
by Renee Stewart-Hester
photo by amanda gahler
DiaMedica’s Mark Williams, left, along with wife Sheena and their family, were among those who participated in the local chapter of the ADA’s Tour de Cure last spring.
Talk about a reverse commute: Many Minnesotans are born with an internal happiness compass pointing “up north.” But a group of Canadians, specifically Winnipeggers, have found their happiness due south, in Plymouth.
“Plymouth is an incredibly family-friendly city,” Mark Williams says. Part of a team from DiaMedica Inc. (a Canadian clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development of therapies to treat diabetes and its associated complications), Williams, vice president of research, moved here to open an eight-member office in 2012. Led by president and CEO Rick Pauls, the group at DiaMedica says the community is ideal for this type of work—and for raising a family.
Pauls explains that the company considered the corridor between Maple Grove and Eden Prairie, home to several life-science companies including Boston Scientific and Medtronic. Plymouth, with its proximity to Minneapolis and the airport, and the location of potential staff members, won out.
Access to the larger medical communities at the University of Minnesota and Rochester’s Mayo Clinic was also attractive, adds Ted Kolodka, director of intellectual properties and business development, and also a new-ish Plymouthite. For him, making the transition came by way of some insider information, thanks to resident Donna Husemoller, who works at the company in human resources and accounting, and fills newcomers’ email boxes with a menu of education, recreation and housing information.
As a company committed to diabetes research and improving the lives of those living with the disease, it embraces the benefits of exercise. “They live what they believe,” says Husemoller. “Everybody is really active.”
Pauls agrees DiaMedica fosters a work culture that encourages working out: “We’re committed to finding a treatment for diabetes, and [that commitment] is something we live by,” Kolodka says, noting physical activity is a part of many diabetics’ treatment plans. “Nearly 30 million children and adults in the U.S. have diabetes, with another 86 million with pre-diabetes,” Pauls adds. “We are working towards improving the lives of these patients.”
Kolodka, who recently trained for a half-marathon, uses the area’s trail system “almost every day,” running around Medicine Lake along the city’s trails, even on subzero days.
“I was still out there running [those cold days last winter], and someone drove by and rolled down their window and yelled, ‘You’re crazy,’” he recalls with a laugh.
While the Canadian transplants enjoy the Minnesota ice, they also have had doses of Minnesota nice. “It’s an incredibly welcoming community,” Williams says, “from neighbors coming out to introduce themselves all the way to finding a local church.”
Williams and his wife, Sheena, immersed their family into the community. With five children ranging in age from 2 to 17 years old (a 20-year-old son remains in Canada), they find Plymouth brimming with opportunity. “We homeschool our kids, and there’s a very strong homeschool network and support system down here,” Williams says. “I have to drag my kids away from [French Regional] park,” he says, adding that the area’s green space is “idyllic, actually.”
What isn’t ideal is the rate at which diabetes is affecting Americans. According to the American Diabetic Association (ADA), if rates continue, one in three Americans will have the disease by 2050. Education is key to prevention: Plymouth library highlights awareness, along with health and lifestyle tips, during November’s Diabetes Awareness Month. //
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DiaMedica
1 Carlson Pkwy.;
763.710.4450;
diamedica.com
Plymouth Library
15700 36th St. N.;
612.543.5825;
hclib.org
Talk about a reverse commute: Many Minnesotans are born with an internal happiness compass pointing “up north.” But a group of Canadians, specifically Winnipeggers, have found their happiness due south, in Plymouth.
“Plymouth is an incredibly family-friendly city,” Mark Williams says. Part of a team from DiaMedica Inc. (a Canadian clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development of therapies to treat diabetes and its associated complications), Williams, vice president of research, moved here to open an eight-member office in 2012. Led by president and CEO Rick Pauls, the group at DiaMedica says the community is ideal for this type of work—and for raising a family.
Pauls explains that the company considered the corridor between Maple Grove and Eden Prairie, home to several life-science companies including Boston Scientific and Medtronic. Plymouth, with its proximity to Minneapolis and the airport, and the location of potential staff members, won out.
Access to the larger medical communities at the University of Minnesota and Rochester’s Mayo Clinic was also attractive, adds Ted Kolodka, director of intellectual properties and business development, and also a new-ish Plymouthite. For him, making the transition came by way of some insider information, thanks to resident Donna Husemoller, who works at the company in human resources and accounting, and fills newcomers’ email boxes with a menu of education, recreation and housing information.
As a company committed to diabetes research and improving the lives of those living with the disease, it embraces the benefits of exercise. “They live what they believe,” says Husemoller. “Everybody is really active.”
Pauls agrees DiaMedica fosters a work culture that encourages working out: “We’re committed to finding a treatment for diabetes, and [that commitment] is something we live by,” Kolodka says, noting physical activity is a part of many diabetics’ treatment plans. “Nearly 30 million children and adults in the U.S. have diabetes, with another 86 million with pre-diabetes,” Pauls adds. “We are working towards improving the lives of these patients.”
Kolodka, who recently trained for a half-marathon, uses the area’s trail system “almost every day,” running around Medicine Lake along the city’s trails, even on subzero days.
“I was still out there running [those cold days last winter], and someone drove by and rolled down their window and yelled, ‘You’re crazy,’” he recalls with a laugh.
While the Canadian transplants enjoy the Minnesota ice, they also have had doses of Minnesota nice. “It’s an incredibly welcoming community,” Williams says,“from neighbors coming out to introduce themselves all the way to finding a local church.”
Williams and his wife, Sheena, immersed their family into the community. With five children ranging in age from 2 to 17 years old (a 20-year-old son remains in Canada), they find Plymouth brimming with opportunity. “We homeschool our kids, and there’s a very strong homeschool network and support system down here,” Williams says. “I have to drag my kids away from [French Regional] park,” he says, adding that the area’s green space is “idyllic, actually.”
What isn’t ideal is the rate at which diabetes is affecting Americans. According to the American Diabetic Association (ADA), if rates continue, one in three Americans will have the disease by 2050. Education is key to prevention: Plymouth library highlights awareness, along with health and lifestyle tips, during November’s Diabetes Awareness Month.
DiaMedica
1 Carlson Pkwy.;
763.710.4450;
diamedica.com
Plymouth Library
15700 36th St. N.;
612.543.5825;
hclib.org
