Department of Biomedical Education and Anatomy | Division of Bioethics
Assistant Professor & Provost Scholar
242 Meilings Hall
370 W. 9th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210
Reproductive Health, Reproductive Genetics, and Medical Sociology
Education
- Completed Advanced Global Health Training (2022-2023) at Harvard University, School of Public Health, Department of Global Health |with specific data collections on sickle cell disease from University of Ghana’s West African Centre of Cell Biology and Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP) | Ghana’s Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Ghana Institute of Clinical Genetics “Sickle Cell Disease Clinic”
- Completed Postdoctoral Fellowship (2020-2022) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) / National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
- Received PhD (2020) with Distinguished Honors from University of Miami
- Received MA (2015) with Honors from Georgia State University
- Received BA (2010) Summa cum laude from Spelman College
- Distinguished Global Health Scholar (2009) at University of California-Berkeley (UC-Berkeley)
- Distinguished Global Health Scholar (2008) at University of South Africa-Cape Town
Research Interests
- Maternal and Child Health Research | Reproductive Health
- Noninvasive Prenatal Testing for Sickle Cell Disease
- Prenatal Genetics | Reproductive Ethics
- Sickle Cell Disease Research
- Empirical Bioethics | Health Equity | Translational Science
- Global Health Research – United States | Ghana, West Africa
- Advanced Qualitative Analysis | Mixed Methods
Clinical Interests
- Medical advisory / Ethical Consult for Sickle Cell Disease
- Patient Perceptions of Noninvasive Prenatal Testing for Sickle Cell Disease
Other Editorial Activities
Professional Activities
- Founder of SICKLE CELL WOMEN & GIRLS (S.W.A.G.) Research Lab (2022-Current)
- Co-Chair of Reproductive Health Affinity Group | ASBH (2023-2025)
Honors and Awards
- Nominated for 40-under-40 Emerging Health Leaders in the USA
Advisory and Consulting
- Medical Advisory Board Member of SICKLE CELL REPRODUCTIVE EDUCATION DIRECTIVE (2023- Current)
Grants and Projects
- NIH Fogarty Training Grant (2022-2023)
Relevant Publications
- Thomas, SP. (2025). “Expanding Translation: The Case of how Patient Perceptions and Lived Experiences of Sickle Cell Disease can Expand the Translational Justice Model.” American Journal of Bioethics.
- Thomas, SP, PhD; Faith Fletcher, PhD, MA; Rachele Willard, BS; Tiara Ranson, BS; and Vence L. Bonham, JD. (2025). “Patient Perceptions on the Advancement of Noninvasive Prenatal Testing for Sickle Cell Disease among Black women in the United States.” American Journal of Bioethics-Empirical Bioethics.
- Thomas, SP, PhD; Madison Alana Keller, BS; Tiara Ranson, BS; and Rachele Willard, BS. (2023) “Patient Perceptions on Noninvasive Prenatal Testing among Black Women in the United States: A Scoping Review” BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth.
- Thomas, SP, Kiana Amini, K. Jameson Floyd, Rachele Willard, Faeben Wossenseged, Madison Keller, Jamil B. Scott, Khadijah E. Abdallah, Ashley Buscetta, Vence L. Bonham, (2021). “Cultivating diversity as an ethos with an anti-racism approach in the scientific enterprise,” Human Genetics and Genomics Advances, Volume 2, Issue 4,2021,
- Thomas, SP. (2021). “Street Race in Reproductive Health: A Phenomenological Study on the Pregnancy and Birthing Experiences among Black and Afro-Latina Women.” Journal of Maternal and Child Health.
Podcast Features
- Thomas, SP. 2025. “Centering Reproductive Health of Black with Sickle Cell Disease” Bioethics in the Margins Podcast Centering Reproductive Health of Black Women with Sickle Cell Disease with Dr. Shameka Poetry Thomas | Podcast Episode on RSS.com
- Centering Reproductive Health of Black Women with Sickle Cell Disease with Dr. Shameka Poetry Thomas | Podcast Episode on RSS.com
- Thomas, SP. 2025. “Examining Women’s Healthcare while navigating Sickle Cell Disease” The Ohio State University, College of Medicine | OSU Health News Podcast Examining Women’s Health Care | The Ohio State University
- Impact for Ohioans | The Ohio State University | The Ohio State University