Tonda Hughes is an American professor of nursing (in psychiatry) and associate dean for global health research at the School of Nursing at Columbia University. She is best known for her research of factors influencing the health of sexual minority women (lesbian and bisexual), particularly in the area of substance use.[1] Hughes is the principal investigator of the Chicago Health and Life Experiences of Women Study, the longest-running longitudinal study of sexual minority women's health, with a focus on alcohol use and mental health.[2]
Hughes was raised in rural southeastern Kentucky. Her father, a coal miner, and her mother did not attend college.[10] Hughes is openly lesbian. She came out while studying for a masters degree at the University of Kentucky.[11]
^"The Global Alliance recognizes..."Global Alliance for Behavioral Health and Social Justice. Global Alliance for Behavioral Health and Social Justice. 2016. Archived from the original on 2019-04-11. Retrieved 2019-06-04.