Kakra Hughes is a Professor of Surgery (with Tenure), Chief of Vascular/Endovascular Surgery and Vice Chair for Research for the Department of Surgery at Howard University and Hospital. He has served in numerous leadership roles at Howard including President of the Medical Staff, Chairman of the Medical Executive Committee, Chairman of the Appointment, Promotion and Tenure (APT) Committee for the Department of Surgery and for the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, a member of the college-wide APT Committee and previously, the university-wide APT Committee.

Kakra currently serves as assistant editor for the Journal of Vascular Surgery, associate editor for Annals of Vascular Surgery, associate editor for the Journal of the National Medical Association and previously served as section editor for Vascular and Endovascular Surgery He previously served as an item-writer for VESAP and as an associate examiner for the American Board of Surgery (Vascular Surgery Certifying Examination) and curently serves as a consultant writing questions for the Vascular Surgery Certifying Examination.

Kakra holds a BS (Summa Cum Laude) from Central State University, an MD from Wake Forest University, an MS in Clinical and Translational Research from Georgetown University and a PhD in Health Services Research from the University of Maryland. His surgical residency was completed at Los Angeles County’s Martin Luther King, Jr./Charles Drew University Program followed by a Vascular Surgery Residency at Harvard Medical School/Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and an Endovascular Surgery Fellowship at the Arizona Heart Institute.