Titles:
Assistant Professor, Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa
Affiliate Investigator, Bruyère Research Institute
Cognitive and Behavioural Neurologist, Bruyère Memory Program
Biography:
Dr. Thomas completed his medical school and neurology residency training at the University of Ottawa. He recently completed a two-year fellowship in geriatric neurology at the Oregon Health and Science University and Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Dr. Thomas currently sees patients at the Bruyère Memory Program. His research focus is on using digital biomarkers to objectively measure and quantify changes in cognition and functional activities in individuals with cognitive impairment. He is also interested in improving the assessment of time and effort spent on caregiving tasks using sensor-based objective outcome measures. The goal is to use these novel methods to assess the effectiveness of interventions aimed at supporting day-to-day functioning in people with cognitive impairment and reducing caregiver burden.
During his fellowship, he was co-investigator involved in the implementation of a project using home-based, unobtrusive technologies to detect changes in cognition and function in patients with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease as they transitioned on and off dementia-related medications.
He has received research grants from the AGE-WELL NCE, the Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation, Bruyère Research Institute, the Bruyère Academic Health Organization, and the National Institute of Health. He is a member of the American Academy of Neurology, the International Society to Advance Alzheimer Research and Treatment, the AGE-WELL National Innovation Hub in Sensors and Analytics for Monitoring Mobility and Memory, and the Consortium of Canadian Centres for Clinical Cognitive Research.
Research Interests:
Using home-based technologies and digital biomarkers to evaluate individuals with cognitive impairment. He is also interested in how these technologies could be used to objectively measure time and effort related to caregiving activities and the impact this has on caregiver burden.