Education and Training
Dr Thomas graduated in 1988 from University College Cardiff with an honours degree in pharmacology and he then went on to study medicine at the University of Southampton Medical School and qualified in 1992. His postgraduate training in cardiology was undertaken at the Sussex Cardiac Centre Brighton, and St George's Hospital London. He undertook a senior fellowship in advanced heart failure and cardiac transplantation at the Royal Perth Hospital in Western Australia.
During his training Dr Thomas undertook a period of research and was awarded an MD degree from Imperial College, London after completing his thesis on the clinical problem of heart failure with preserved systolic function. He was appointed as Consultant Cardiologist at University College London Hospital in 2009 and became clinical lead for heart failure services at University College Hospital and Barts Heart Centre in 2015.
Expertise
Dr Thomas has extensive experience in all aspects of adult cardiology including the assessment of patients presenting with symptoms of chest pain, shortness of breath, palpitations, dizzy spells and blackouts.
Dr Thomas specialises in the management of ischaemic heart disease (angina and heart attacks), hypertension, arrhythmias (including pacemaker implantation) and valvular heart disease. He is also interested in cardiac risk assessment and prevention of cardiovascular disease.
A particular interest of Dr Thomas' is in the diagnosis and treatment of heart failure. He specialises in advanced heart failure management including implantation of bi-ventricular pacemakers and cardiac defibrillators and optimisation of these devices using transthoracic echocardiography. He is a certified cardiac device specialist of the Heart Rhythm Society, USA. He is also fully trained in the use of ultrafiltration for the management of a select group of heart failure patients who have significant fluid overload.
Dr Thomas has a specialist interest in aviation cardiology and is a consultant advisor to the Civil Aviation Authority and to one of the UK's leading aeromedical repatriation companies.
Teaching and Research
Dr Thomas is an Educational Supervisor to cardiology trainees at Barts Heart Centre. He plays an active role in teaching and training at both undergraduate and postgraduate level and is committed to promoting heart failure education to a wide variety of clinicians and allied medical professionals across different specialities.
Dr Thomas is continually engaged in research connected with his clinical interests. His current interests include the role of finger plethysmography in the optimisation of cardiac resynchronisation therapy and the role of palliative care services in the management of patients with advanced heart failure.
Professional Qualifications
- BSc (Hons) Pharmacology 1988
- BM (Southampton) 1992
- MRCP (UK) 1997
- Certified Cardiac Device Specialist: IBHRE 2008
- CCST Cardiology 2008
- MD (University of London) 2009
Professional Memberships and Affiliations
- British Medical Association
- Royal College of Physicians
- British Society of Heart Failure
- British Society of Echocardiography
Television and Radio Appearances
Dr Thomas has regularly been consulted for BBC radio, TV and online articles covering various aspects of cardiology. His appearances as a contributor on television and radio can be seen and heard below:
- BBC World TV's Health Check on Heart Failure
- BBC World Service Documentary
- Matters of the Heart BBC Radio 4 Documentary
- Case Notes on BBC Radio 4 Heart Failure
- Case Notes on BBC Radio 4
- Life After 80 BBC Radio 4
Publications
Dr Thomas has a track record of publishing high quality research. Major titles include:
- Thomas MD, Wood C, Lovett M, Dembo L, O'Driscoll G. Successful treatment of rotary pump thrombus with the glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor tirofiban. J Heart Lung Transplant 2008;27:925-927
- Parle NM, Thomas MD, Dembo L, Best M, O'Driscoll G. Repeated Infusions of Levosimendan: Well Tolerated and Improves Functional Capacity in Decompensated Heart Failure - A Single-Centre Experience. Heart Lung Circ 2008;17:206-210
- A Sirker, MD Thomas, S Baker, J Shrimpton, et al. Cardiac resynchronization therapy: left or left-and-right for optimal symptomatic effect - the LOLA ROSE study. Europace 2007;9:862-868
- Thomas MD, Hinds R, Walker C, Morgan F, Mason P, Hildick-Smith D. Safety of aeromedical repatriation following myocardial infarction: a retrospective study. Heart 2006;92:1864-1865
- Thomas MD, Fox KF, Wood DA, Gibbs JSR, Coats AJS, Henein MY, Poole-Wilson PA, Sutton GC. Echocardiographic features and brain natriuretic peptides in patients presenting with heart failure and preserved systolic function. Heart 2006;92:603-608
- Thomas MD, Fox KF, Coats AJS. Redefining heart failure. Int J Cardiol 2006;112:139-41
- Thomas MD, Kalra PK, Jones A, Struthers AD, More RS. Time-course for Recovery of Atrial Mechanical and Endocrine Function Post DC Cardioversion for Persistent Atrial Fibrillation. Int J Cardiol 2005;102:487-491
- Thomas MD, Fox KF, Coats AJS, Sutton GC. The epidemiological enigma of heart failure with preserved systolic function. Eur J Heart Failure 2004;6:125-36
