Dr. Yvonne Darlene Cagle is an astronaut for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and consulting professor for Stanford University’s department of cardiovascular medicine and its department of electrical engineering. In addition, Dr. Cagle also has served as a certified senior aviation medical examiner for the Federal Aviation Administration and a qualified advanced cardiac life support instructor.

Dr. Cagle currently is the chief scientist for the Level II Program Office of NASA’s Commercial Reusable Suborbital Research program. She was assigned as Stanford’s lead astronaut science liaison and strategic relationships manager for Google and other Silicon Valley programmatic partnerships. Her groundbreaking work is preserving NASA legacy data while galvanizing NASA’s lead in global mapping, sustainable energies, green initiatives and disaster preparedness.

After earning her undergraduate degree from San Francisco State University, Dr. Cagle earned an M.D. from the University of Washington. She completed an internship at Highland General Hospital in Oakland, Calif., and a residency in family practice at Ghent Family Medicine at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Va.

Recipient of the National Defense Service Medal, Air Force Achievement Medal, United States Air Force Air Staff Exceptional Physician Commendation and National Technical Association Distinguished Scientist Award, Dr. Cagle began her medical career as a certified flight surgeon. She was actively involved in mission support of aircraft providing medical support and rescue in a variety of aeromedical missions. Dr. Cagle has contributed ongoing data to the longitudinal study on astronaut health and served as a consultant for space telemedicine.

Dr. Cagle is on the advisory committee for the Texas Medical Center National Center for Human Performance. She was a member of the NASA Working Group and traveled to Russia to establish international medical standards and procedures for astronauts. She also has served on the Volunteer Family Practice Clinical Faculty at the University of California at Davis.

Astronauts, Air Force, African-American Women, STEM Education, Diversity & Inclusion, Workplace Diversity, Black History Month, Technology, Science, Space, NASA, Overcoming Adversity, STEM, Black Heritage, Motivational, Influential Women, Women, Pilots & Aviators, Workshop, Women in Tech Medicine, Cardiology, Veterans, Veteran Affairs,