Biochemist Billy Hudson on his awards, his Aspirnauts and his own self-care

This Is Nashville · Apr 20, 2026 · 49m

At 84, biochemist Billy Hudson is still at it, researching collagen and kidney function. He's been named as a 2026 medal of honor recipient by the Ellis Island Honors Society. An unlikely pioneer in the field of nephrology, Hudson endured poverty and abuse in rural Arkansas, not even finishing high school before he found himself on a welcoming college campus. After a successful research career, he's spent the last two decades trying to make a path to higher education for kids like himself through a program he started with his wife and siblings called Aspirnaut. Not until he was working with…