Shameka Thomas, PhD

About

Biography

I am an assistant professor in the Division of Bioethics within the Department of Biomedical Education and Anatomy at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. I am also the Founder of The Sickle Cell Women and Girls (S.W.A.G.) Research Lab. My work focuses on bioethical research for sickle cell disease, reproductive health, prenatal genetics, and health equity, with particular attention to the ethical and social issues affecting individuals and families impacted by sickle cell disease. I completed my PhD at the University of Miami; and completed my postdoctoral fellowships at the National Institutes of Health / National Human Genome Research Institute as well as was a NIH Fogarty Global Health Fellow at the Harvard University, School of Public Health, Department of Global Health.

My current research explores how patients on a national and global scale—especially Black women and families—understand and experience new reproductive and genetic technologies, such as noninvasive prenatal testing for sickle cell disease. We have data collections on over 75 patient cases of women and girls with and without sickle cell disease across the United States and Ghana, West Africa. The goal of this work is to ensure that advances in biomedical science are developed and used in ways that are fair, ethical, and responsive to patients’ lived experiences. The premise to bridge knowledge gaps between reproductive health and genetics, by listening closely to patient perspectives and studying how clinical and social factors shape medical decision-making, my research aims to support more equitable prenatal care and help future patients receive information and options that respect their values, needs, and cultural context.

I have received several notable research awards as an early career faculty, public recognition for our scientific impact, authored and co-authored scholarly articles published in peer-reviewed journals, including work in empirical bioethics and reproductive ethics. I regularly present my research at national and international conferences across the United States, Europe, and Africa and expanding toward the Caribbean.

I have a strong commitment to conducting team-science research within ethics, equity, and upholding interdisciplinary collaboration at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. I am deeply passionate about advancing scholarship and translational research toward public dissemination, patient-provider education tools, and advancing disease management across clinical training models. I enjoy centering patient perspectives that helps guide responsible scientific innovation in reproductive and genetic medicine to improve health outcomes for individuals and communities, particularly for women, mothers, and children

Credentials

Research