MEET OUR TEAM

Co-Founder and Executive Director of Aspirnaut™, Julie Hudson, M.D., spearheads the program’s efforts to increase STEM achievement and to increase participation in the STEM workforce. She focuses on strategic vision, program development, and fundraising.

A first-generation college graduate and second-generation rural Midwesterner, Dr. Hudson and her team are committed to finding talent not visible on the usual radars, providing STEM opportunities to those whose access is limited, and ensuring that each Aspirnaut™ intern has the opportunity for a quality education and meaningful career in STEM.

Unique in its holistic approach, Aspirnaut™ focuses on discovery science and also incorporates wellness strategies, teaches lifelong personal and professional development, and focuses on self-management to help students with the many challenges of a competitive and meaningful STEM career.

A pediatric anesthesiologist with a background in development, government relations, and science training, Hudson completed her medical and master’s degrees at the University of Kansas School of Medicine and residency training at Kansas University Medical Center.

In her spare time, Julie enjoys traveling, hiking, gardening, cooking, and taking in all that life has to offer. She has trekked to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro and to Everest Base Camp and explored the naturalist’s gem of the world, the Galapagos Islands. She looks forward to challenging herself in her next outdoor adventure.

In 2006, Billy Hudson, Ph.D., co-founded Aspirnaut™ with the help of his wife and his sister and brother, after a visit to his hometown of Grapevine, AR, which made him realize that not much had changed.

His motivation stems from a rocky childhood of poverty, abuse, and a lack of preparation for higher education. To escape his dysfunctional family, he dropped out of high school and entrusted the next steps of his life to a teacher who provided him the opportunity and guidance to acquire an education that underlies his scientific career. However, he never turned his back on his family or forgot his roots.

Hudson returned to Grapevine to rescue his family and help provide them with a better life. He overcame adversity and has since devoted his life to providing STEM opportunities for talented students around the world. His mission is to shine a light to show students there are options beyond poverty and unfortunate living situations. He takes great joy in working individually with the Aspirnaut™ students to identify important questions in science and has guided more than 250 interns through their scientific journey, where over 80 interns have co-authored scientific publications.

Dr. Hudson is a world-renowned scientist who helped to discover the molecular foundation of autoimmune and genetic kidney disease. He earned his Ph.D. in biochemistry at the University of Iowa and completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at the Joslin Clinic of Harvard University Medical School. He and his team discovered and characterized collagen-IV proteins, in which structural alterations underlie the pathophysiology of three kidney diseases: Goodpasture’s disease, Alport syndrome, and diabetic nephropathy.

Rachel Baugh is the Director of Aspirnaut™, where she helps individuals reach their personal, professional, and physical potential through wellness-centered leadership and strategic development. Inspired by the mentors and teammates who shaped her own journey, Rachel is deeply committed to empowering others to thrive.

With more than 20 years of experience delivering winning results, Rachel brings a rare blend of expertise in team building, strategic planning, fundraising, and business development—paired with a lifelong passion for fitness and well-being. She leads the Aspirnaut™ Wellness for Life sessions, guiding participants in self-management, resilience, and sustainable strategies for lifelong health.

Formerly known as Rachel Komisarz, she is also an elite performance leader and Olympic champion. A career-ending gymnastics injury at age 15—resulting in two fractured vertebrae—led her to swimming, where she overcame a fear of the water and rapidly rose to international success. Her breakthrough came at the 2004 Olympic Trials in Long Beach, California, where she won the 100-meter butterfly and secured a place on the U.S. Olympic Team.

At the 2004 Olympic Games, Rachel earned a gold medal in the 4×200 freestyle relay and a silver medal in the 4×100 medley relay. Over the course of her career, she represented the United States in 13 international competitions and earned 27 medals.

Today, Rachel is passionate about helping every Aspirnaut™ succeed in their unique journey of career growth and personal development. Outside of her work, she enjoys helping friends and neighbors stay active, gardening, and cooking delicious—yet healthy—Polish cuisine.

A scientist and mentor, Dr. Pokidysheva oversees the research laboratory experience of Aspirnaut™ participants.

Originally from the Russian Federation, she received a Master of Science degree from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and a Ph.D. in Biophysics from the University of Basel, Switzerland in 2004. A postdoctoral fellow at Purdue University and Oregon Health Sciences University and at Shriners Hospital, she joined the Hudson laboratory and the Aspirnaut™ Program in 2015, in the position of Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Dr. Pokidysheva has expertise in molecular and structural biology, biochemistry, electron microscopy, and animal models. Her current work focuses on solving the mystery of how diabetes and Alport syndrome cause kidney failure in millions of people worldwide. Recently, Elena has made several seminal discoveries about the molecular structure of the kidney filter, including the “garland” architecture and functions of collagen IV molecules of basement membranes. Her discoveries pave the way for the development of therapy.

While not in the research lab, Elena enjoys spending time with her family and raising two daughters, 16 and 13 years old. Being their parent also involves being a fan and prominent supporter of a Team USA figure skater and a rising competitive foil fencer.

Dr. Clarke is a scientist and science educator who mentors students, teaches science communication, and works closely with high school science educators on innovative ways to integrate discovery science into the classroom. He grew up in East Tennessee, completed his undergraduate degree at Carson Newman University and completed his Ph.D. in biochemistry at Vanderbilt University under the mentorship of John York, Ph.D. He next did a postdoctoral fellowship at Vanderbilt under the mentorship of Yi Ren, Ph.D., and then joined the Hudson research team as Assistant Professor and the Aspirnaut™ program in 2024.

Dr. Clarke is interested in using structural biology to understand how the basement membrane is assembled. In particular, he uses single particle cryo electron microscopy to investigate how the different component proteins interact.

Dr. Clarke is passionate about enhancing STEM education in rural communities. His recent work at the Wynne High School Chemical Biology lab has focused on using primitive multicellular animals as a model to understand the foundational structural features of collagen IV and how these features may be misregulated in human disease.

When he’s not in the lab, Bradley loves spending time outdoors with his wife and children camping and hiking. They especially enjoy exploring the Tennessee State Parks together.

Sabrena joins Aspirnaut as the Program Manager after serving as the Fellowship Program Manager at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Prior to her time at Columbia University Medical Center, Sabrena gained experience as the senior Patient Coordinator at Weill Cornell Medical College and has also worked as a medical assistant and nurse attendant.

Sabrena is a dynamic individual with a diverse range of interests and expertise. With a degree in psychology from SUNY College at Old Westbury in New York, she prioritizes mental health and well-being, especially in the workplace. Outside of her professional pursuits, Sabrena finds joy in maintaining an active lifestyle through F45 training, indulging her creative side by crafting stunning floral arrangements for her home, and exploring the culinary world by cooking and seeking out new local restaurants. Her greatest happiness, however, comes from spending quality time with her loving husband and their beloved fur baby.