Ryan Thomas MD

Dr. Ryan Thomas is a pediatric pulmonologist and Director of the Cystic Fibrosis Center at the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. Dr. Thomas completed medical school at Wayne State University in Detroit, a pediatric residency at Beaumont Children’s Hospital in Royal Oak, and his pediatric pulmonology fellowship at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Thomas says, “It was at Rainbow Babies in Ohio where I first really got to learn the joy of caring for people with cystic fibrosis. It was a large cystic fibrosis center with a very active cystic fibrosis research division, and I learned a tremendous amount about caring for those with cystic fibrosis”.

Since his arrival at Michigan State Dr. Thomas initially took on the role of associate director and then director of the Cystic Fibrosis Center. Dr. Thomas teaches medical students about Cystic Fibrosis at both the College of Human Medicine and the College of Osteopathic Medicine at Michigan State University as well as the pediatric residency program. Dr. Thomas is involved with both clinical and translational research projects through his cystic fibrosis center. A quality improvement project he is most proud of (since starting at Michigan State) is the creation of the cystic fibrosis newborn screening algorithm which provides a flow chart to help families understand the sometimes-complex evaluation of positive newborn screens for cystic fibrosis. Dr. Thomas records podcasts for the American Thoracic Society (one is out now and another is yet to be published), about Cystic Fibrosis.

Dr. Thomas currently lives in the Lansing area with his wife and two children. As a Michigan State graduate, Thomas says he has enjoyed coming back to campus. Thomas says, “I look forward to working what the Bonnell Foundation to help improve the lives of those with cystic fibrosis”.