May 31, 2024

Rui Pombal, M.D., is the incoming President for the International Airline Medical Association (IAMA).

He has worked in aviation medicine for over 20 years as medical director for UCS–TAP Air Portugal Group Health Services, running its aeromedical centre in Lisbon, Portugal. He is currently IATA Medical Advisor. He holds a Masters in Aviation Medicine and is a certified European Union Aviation Safety Agency and Federal Aviation Administration medical examiner. He first specialized in family medicine and his other areas of special interest include travel medicine and clinical assessment in pharmacovigilance/safety of medicines. He regularly teaches in national and international post-graduate aviation medicine, travel medicine, and pharmacovigilance programs, and has authored or co-authored publications in those fields.
   Dr. Pombal is a founding member of SMAPOR, the Portuguese Aerospace Medicine Society, of which he was the first President, and has served in the Board of the Portuguese Travel Medicine Society. He has been active in international organizations as well, having chaired the ASMA Air Transport Medicine Committee and, as an IAASM Academician, served in the Academy’s Selectors Committee. He is an ASMA Associate Fellow and a member of the International Society of Travel Medicine.
   Dr. Pombal is currently President of the Organizing Committee of the 2nd International Congress of Aerospace Medicine, which will take place in Lisbon, October 3–5, 2024. He believes this fits well with his passion for collaboration projects and for communicating aerospace medicine topics. He has been a long standing, active member of IAMA, having chaired its Scientific Meeting Program in 2018. He received the International Airline Medical Association George Kidera Award in 2021.