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.
[3] In 2003, Hughes was inducted into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame.
In 2014, she received the Betty Ford Award from the Association of Medical Education and Research in Substance Abuse and in 2015 was inducted into the Sigma Theta Tau International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame.
[5][6] In 2017, Hughes received the Global Alliance for Behavioral Health and Social Justice Recognition Award.
[8] In 2017, she received the Achievement Award from the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association.