Another chance at Jeopardy! success for CHoR’s vice chair of research, Dr. Henry Rozycki

Dr. Henry Rozycki is returning to the Jeopardy! stage. After winning during his first appearance in February 2022, he was invited back for the Champions Wild Card Tournament – bringing champions from the past three years together to compete for cash, honor and a chance to go to the final Tournament of Champions.

Although the competitors were familiar with the process, the lifting of COVID restrictions allowed for a live audience during recording which was new this time around.

“You could feel the excitement in the room,” said Dr. Rozycki.

Equal parts preparation, competition and camaraderie on this round of Jeopardy!

Dr. Rozycki prepared by randomly reviewing an archive of 30-40,000 former questions and, of course, continuing to watch the show daily as he’s done for years.

“Jeopardy! was on at lunchtime when I was a kid and I used to watch with my mom, and then to be on it was a dream come true,” he said.

He also enjoyed looking for clues in the questions, refining his betting strategy and getting to know the other contestants.

“Everyone wanted to win, but everyone was also incredibly nice and cheering their opponents on. I figured if I’m going to lose to this person or that person, it’s okay. I’ve gotten to know them, and they’re nice, smart people,” he added.

Insight from a child health researcher for hopeful Jeopardy! contestants

“I’m a researcher and a physician. I never expected to be on national TV. The Jeopardy! crew knows their job and does it so well, making people feel confident and comfortable, much like the team does in the hospital with patients and families who never expected to end up here,” said Rozycki.

He has two pieces of advice for aspiring future Jeopardy! contestants:

• Keep trying! Anyone can take the test and the results won’t be shared. If you don’t do well, no one will know. If you do well, you might end up on TV!
• Stay curious! There’s so much they can ask. If you’re just curious about normal life – what you hear, what you read – that’s probably the best prep.

This parallels his work as a researcher.

“When you’re researching something and you come across something else that’s intriguing, dive into it. You go in a completely different direction, but it can become very fruitful,” he said.

Dr. Rozycki’s love of research is pivotal at CHoR and our Child Health Research Institute. Will it prove beneficial for another round of Jeopardy! success?

Update – November 15, 2023 Jeopardy! results

The Final Jeopardy! question stumped all three contestants. Dr. Rozycki, seeing this appearance as icing on the cake of an already amazing opportunity, wagered everything. Although he didn’t come up the winner this time around, it was a great run for him and his fans!

Would you have known the answer?

Category: Washington, D.C.

Clue: It was proposed in Congress in 1926 in honor of a big 150^th anniversary; it opened 17 years later.

Answer: What is the Jefferson Memorial?

Read about the CHoR physician researcher's original journey to Jeopardy!