Danny Thomas, MD, MPH

Associate Professor of Pediatrics; Research Director, Section of Pediatric Emergency Medicine; Co-Chair, Children's Wisconsin Human Research Review Board

Locations

Children's Wisconsin, Emergency/Trauma
9000 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53226

Education

MD, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 2002
MPH, Graduate School of Public Health, Northwestern University, 2002
Residency, Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, 2005
Fellowship, Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, 2008

Research Interests

Dr. Thomas’ primary research goal is to improve identification of concussion and early management in the acute care setting. He has been interested in brain injury since studying psychology as an undergraduate. His initial research developed objective ways to assess concussion severity in the ED. Dr. Thomas has looked at factors that influence recovery from concussion to improve our understanding of the role of rest, exercise, and recovery from concussion. He published a randomized trial of strict rest after acute concussion which was covered widely by major national media outlets. These findings have challenged the existing understanding of the “benefits” of rest and the “harm” of activity post concussion. Currently Dr. Thomas is looking for ways to improve and speed initial recover, decrease risk of subsequent injury, and identify patients at higher risk for post-concussive syndrome.

Contributions of implicit and explicit memories to sensorimotor adaptation of movement extent during goal-directed reaching.

(Lantagne DD, Mrotek LA, Slick R, Beardsley SA, Thomas DG, Scheidt RA.) Exp Brain Res. 2021 Aug;239(8):2445-2459 PMID: 34106298 PMCID: PMC8354879 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85107438923 06/10/2021
Early Neurologic Recovery, Practice Pattern Variation, and the Risk of Endotracheal Intubation Following Established Status Epilepticus.

(Rosenthal ES, Elm JJ, Ingles J, Rogers AJ, Terndrup TE, Holsti M, Thomas DG, Babcock L, Okada PJ, Lipsky RH, Miller JB, Hickey RW, Barra ME, Bleck TP, Cloyd JC, Silbergleit R, Lowenstein DH, Coles LD, Kapur J, Shinnar S, Chamberlain JM, Established Status Epilepticus Treatment Trial Study Group.) Neurology. 2021 05 11;96(19):e2372-e2386 PMID: 34032604 PMCID: PMC8166444 05/26/2021
Quantifying Activity Levels After Sport-Related Concussion Using Actigraph and Mobile (mHealth) Technologies.

(Huber DL, Thomas DG, Danduran M, Meier TB, McCrea MA, Nelson LD.) J Athl Train. 2019 Sep;54(9):929-938 PMID: 31411898 PMCID: PMC6795103 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85072992585 08/15/2019
Parental Knowledge and Recall of Concussion Discharge Instructions.

(Thomas DG, Bradley L, Servi A, Reilly S, Niskala Apps J, McCrea M, Hammeke T.) J Emerg Nurs. 2018 Jan;44(1):52-56 PMID: 28527643 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85020124168 05/22/2017
Onychomadesis as a Late Complication of Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease: A Case Series Shedding Light on Nail Shedding.

(Kuehnel NA, Thach S, Thomas DG.) Pediatr Emerg Care. 2017 Nov;33(11):e122-e123 PMID: 29095779 11/03/2017
The Effectiveness of Prescribed Rest Depends on Initial Presentation After Concussion.

(Sufrinko AM, Kontos AP, Apps JN, McCrea M, Hickey RW, Collins MW, Thomas DG.) J Pediatr. 2017 06;185:167-172 PMID: 28365025 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85016637815 04/04/2017
Statements of Agreement From the Targeted Evaluation and Active Management (TEAM) Approaches to Treating Concussion Meeting Held in Pittsburgh, October 15-16, 2015.

(Collins MW, Kontos AP, Okonkwo DO, Almquist J, Bailes J, Barisa M, Bazarian J, Bloom OJ, Brody DL, Cantu R, Cardenas J, Clugston J, Cohen R, Echemendia R, Elbin RJ, Ellenbogen R, Fonseca J, Gioia G, Guskiewicz K, Heyer R, Hotz G, Iverson GL, Jordan B, Manley G, Maroon J, McAllister T, McCrea M, Mucha A, Pieroth E, Podell K, Pombo M, Shetty T, Sills A, Solomon G, Thomas DG, Valovich McLeod TC, Yates T, Zafonte R.) Neurosurgery. 2016 Dec;79(6):912-929 PMID: 27741219 PMCID: PMC5119544 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-84996542635 10/16/2016
Activity-Related Symptom Exacerbations After Pediatric Concussion.

(Silverberg ND, Iverson GL, McCrea M, Apps JN, Hammeke TA, Thomas DG.) JAMA Pediatr. 2016 Oct 01;170(10):946-953 PMID: 27479847 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-84996503901 08/02/2016
Significance of Circulating Tumor Cells in Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Patients within a Randomized, Phase II Trial: TBCRC 019.

(Paoletti C, Li Y, Muñiz MC, Kidwell KM, Aung K, Thomas DG, Brown ME, Abramson VG, Irvin WJ Jr, Lin NU, Liu MC, Nanda R, Nangia JR, Storniolo AM, Traina TA, Vaklavas C, Van Poznak CH, Wolff AC, Forero-Torres A, Hayes DF, Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium (TBCRC).) Clin Cancer Res. 2015 Jun 15;21(12):2771-9 PMID: 25779948 PMCID: PMC5521206 03/18/2015
Benefits of strict rest after acute concussion: a randomized controlled trial.

(Thomas DG, Apps JN, Hoffmann RG, McCrea M, Hammeke T.) Pediatrics. 2015 Feb;135(2):213-23 PMID: 25560444 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-84922641444 01/07/2015
Benefits of Strict Rest After Acute Concussion: A Randomized Controlled Trial

(Danny George Thomas, MD, MPH, Jennifer N. Apps, PhD, Raymond G. Hoffmann, PhD, Michael McCrea, PhD, Thomas Hammeke, PhDb.) Pediatrics. 01/05/2015
Use of modified acute concussion evaluation tools in the emergency department.

(Zuckerbraun NS, Atabaki S, Collins MW, Thomas D, Gioia GA.) Pediatrics. 2014 Apr;133(4):635-42 PMID: 24616361 03/13/2014

Pediatric Emergency Medicine