Chicago, IL, February 3, 2026: The American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) is pleased to announce the election of Duncan Hughes, MD, MPH, as a Director on ABPM’s board, representing the specialty of Aerospace Medicine.
Dr. Hughes maintains ABPM certification in both Aerospace Medicine and Occupational and Environmental Medicine. He is also certified by the American Board of Family Medicine. He is a fellow of both the Aerospace Medical Association and the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
As the Chief Medical Officer for Virgin Galactic, Dr. Hughes practices at the leading edge of today’s spaceflight industry. In this position, he ensures the health and safety of all flight personnel before, during, and after spaceflight and guides the development of standards for spaceflight occupant safety. Previously, Dr. Hughes was the Medical Director for HealthWorks Occupational Medicine Clinic and, prior to that, served nearly 28 years in the U.S. Air Force.
Dr. Hughes’ perspective, gained through his varied professional experiences, will be an asset to the board. “I believe that my diverse background and career in medicine would serve/represent the needs of the Aerospace Medicine community and ABPM well,” said Dr. Hughes. “These are challenging times in the field, and I believe a representative to the ABPM board that embodies and champions the preventive medicine nature of the specialty is critical to both the future of the specialty and the work of the ABPM.”
Dr. Hughes will begin his initial three-year term immediately following the interim board of directors meeting in August 2026.
ABPM is an ABMS Member Board. Founded in 1948, ABPM works with the ABMS in the development of standards for the ongoing assessment and certification of over 12,000 physicians certified by ABPM in the specialties of Aerospace Medicine, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, and Public Health and General Preventive Medicine; and in the specialties of Addiction Medicine; Clinical Informatics; Health Care Administration, Leadership, and Management; Medical Toxicology; and Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine.