MCG scientist wins competitive hypertension research award

Daria Ilatovskaya, PhD, recently received the 2026 John H. Laragh Research Award by the American Journal of Hypertension for her outstanding work in the hypertension research field.  

The award honors two investigators under the age of 45 each year: one for achievements in basic science and the other for achievements in clinical science. Ilatovskaya won the basic science award, and along with being invited to submit a manuscript of her work to the journal, was honored with a plaque and $10,000.

“It was super exciting, honestly. I’ll get to go to New York to be presented with the award at the journal’s annual board dinner. It’s a huge achievement and an honor,” said Ilatovskaya, associate professor of Physiology at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University and director of the Physiology Graduate Program.

Ilatovskaya’s research centers on renal blood pressure regulation, mitochondrial bioenergetics and sex differences in renal metabolism. Her lab’s studies on kidney function begin at a cellular level, then move up to tissues and whole body physiology, providing a comprehensive framework for clinical translation.

Her journey in the field started in 2008 when she was completing her master’s degree and working at the Medical College of Wisconsin. She explained her introduction to hypertension and physiology research as ‘serendipitous.’

“I actually have my master’s in physics and my bachelor’s in physics, and I was just serendipitously introduced to a technique that is rather unique. It’s called patch clamp electrophysiology, and it allows you to measure ion channel activity in live cells,” she explained. “And I was invited to work in a lab at the Medical College of Wisconsin that specialized in studies of ion channels in hypertension. That is how I became a physiologist without really planning to and ever since I’ve been working on hypertension and kidney disease.”

Fast forward a few years, and Ilatovskaya’s career took off after completing her PhD. She was almost immediately awarded with the competitive Ben J. Lipps Fellowship from the American Society of Nephrology as a postdoc in 2013, which led to her receiving an NIH K99/R00 Career Development Award in 2015. 

From there, she has been awarded numerous grants to support her research, recognized by multiple scientific societies and has immersed herself in leadership roles within Augusta University and other professional organizations. Mentorship is also a cornerstone of Ilatovskaya’s career; she devotes time to training students and postdocs and setting them up for success in their future scientific endeavors.

“Her students and fellows are rapidly gaining recognition in the scientific community, receiving prestigious awards and platform presentation invitations, publishing many first-author manuscripts and being supported by AHA and NIH fellowships,” said Jennifer Sullivan, PhD, dean of The Graduate School at Augusta University and the inaugural recipient of the John H. Laragh Research Award in 2018, who, along with Michael Ryan, PhD, a professor at the University of South Carolina, nominated Ilatovskaya for the award.

“Dr. Ilatovskaya is an outstanding investigator who has made groundbreaking and significant impacts on cardiovascular physiology research as it relates to kidney function,” Sullivan continued. “She has had an outstanding research output and made a significant impact on the field.”

That impact is evident through Ilatovskaya’s curriculum vitae: she has 96 published research articles and her current research is funded by NIH R01s, an NIH U54 grant, the American Heart Association (AHA) Transformational Award and the AHA Strategically Focused Research Network on Cardiovascular Kidney Metabolic Health in Women.

It’s clear her passion for this subject is what drives her to be so competitive and intentional with her work. When asked what she loves most about her research, Ilatovskaya replied, “The integrative aspect of it. It encompasses everything – you start from the whole body, basically translational medicine, and you can go all the way down to subcellular mechanisms and drug targets. We do human studies, work with human tissues, we work with animals, we do everything. It’s not that Pavlovian physiology of the 1930s anymore. It’s very much at the forefront of modern medicine, and I love it.”

Ilatovskaya will be promoted to professor on July 1, another significant professional achievement she has earned through time spent honing her craft.

“I love Augusta University. I think it is a perfect place for doing basic science research, and our support system is absolutely amazing,” Ilatovskaya said. “As any scientist would probably tell you, what we want the most is to see our discoveries turn into actionable therapies, and that is what I’m really looking forward to. I would love to see that happen in my lifetime, or maybe after that. Otherwise, I think the most important thing we do is training the next generation of researchers. I really love to see my trainees grow as scientists. It’s the thing that any mentor enjoys immensely.”