Dr. Aaron Polichnowski received East Tennessee State University’s 2025 Distinguished Faculty Award in Research for his exceptional contributions to the field of hypertension and chronic kidney disease.
Polichnowski is an associate professor in the Quillen College of Medicine Department of Biomedical Sciences.
“Dr. Polichnowski’s research has made significant strides in understanding the renal hemodynamic mechanisms that drive the transition from acute kidney injury (AKI) to chronic kidney disease (CKD),” his nominator wrote. “His work focuses on the impairments in renal autoregulation and the progression of the disease. Additionally, he has uncovered new insights into genetic factors that may contribute to CKD development.
“Dr. Polichnowski’s research bridges fundamental renal physiology with translational applications. These efforts have far-reaching implications for improving CKD prevention and treatment strategies.”
“I’ve moved the ball forward quite a bit with identifying novel mechanisms in which blood vessels within the kidney respond to blood pressure, and various factors that can affect that response, such as hormones circulating in the blood and a high-salt diet,” Polichnowski said. “We’re looking at the mechanisms that make some patients more susceptible to developing or progressing with chronic kidney disease, such as those with high blood pressure or diabetes.”
In collaboration with a doctoral student, Polichnowski has expanded his research to include the effects on the kidney of “forever chemicals,” or PFAS (per- or polyfluorinated carbons). These man-made chemicals, found in many everyday products, are commonly called “forever chemicals” due to their long-lasting presence in the body.
To date, Polichnowski has secured approximately $2 million in extramural funding for his research from the National Institutes of Health, American Heart Association and American Society of Nephrology.
Polichnowski, who has authored numerous journal articles and contributed to one book chapter, is praised for his deep commitment to mentoring the next generation of scientists. He has guided over 35 undergraduate, graduate and medical students, as well as professional scientists in their early careers at ETSU and other institutions. Since 2017, he has directed ETSU’s Medical Student Summer Research Program.
Polichnowski earned his undergraduate degree in exercise science from ETSU and his M.S. in exercise physiology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. At that time, he was particularly interested in how blood moves through the body – from the heart to the muscles – during exercise or different disease states.
While pursuing his Ph.D. in physiology at the Medical College of Wisconsin, he found his niche during a lab rotation with an investigator who studied how blood flow in the kidney is regulated.
“I became fascinated with the kidney and the complexity of the kidney – the importance of the kidney in blood pressure regulation and fluid balance in the body – and have never turned back,” he said.
Polichnowski joined the ETSU faculty in 2016 after working as a research scientist at Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital in Hines, Illinois, and teaching at Loyola University Medical Center, where he completed his postdoctoral fellowship in nephrology.
