Billy Hudson receives 2026 Ellis Island Medal of Honor

Summary: Dr. Billy Hudson just received the 2026 Ellis Island Medal of Honor! This is a huge award given to people who do great things for America. Dr. Hudson works at Vanderbilt and won the medal for two amazing reasons. First, he made big discoveries about a protein called type IV collagen. His work helps doctors understand and fight kidney problems like diabetic kidney disease, Alport syndrome, and Goodpasture’s disease. Second, he helped start the Aspirnaut STEM Pipeline, a program that helps kids learn about science and math.

Dr. Hudson grew up in a small country town in Arkansas. At the fancy awards party on Ellis Island, country star Lee Greenwood even sang for the crowd! Dr. Hudson accepted the award not just for himself, but for his family and the hundreds of students he has helped over the years.

For more details, see rssapp-news-vumc-org at news.vumc.org/2026/05/22/billy-hudson-receives-2026-ellis-island-medal-of-honor/ (opens in new tab)