Valarie Thomas

Dr. Valarie Thomas is a multilingual (English, Spanish & French Creole) veterinarian, medical educator and administrator, with over 16 years of experience in leadership and student support. 

Dr. Thomas earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree from the Universidad Agraria de la Habana in Havana, Cuba, in 2001. She then completed a Master of Science degree in Applied Molecular Microbiology at the University of Nottingham, UK, in 2005, where she researched the ecology and survival of Campylobacter spp. in food and the environment.

Her research has also focused on emerging infectious diseases in wildlife, including the chytrid fungi Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) which has caused the extirpation of amphibian species worldwide and the more recently discovered Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal), which has been spreading through Europe and causing severe decreases in amphibian populations in susceptible species. Dr. Thomas trained in molecular diagnostics of Bd at the Zoological Society of London, Institute of Zoology and ran the Molecular Diagnostic Lab in the Commonwealth of Dominica, diagnosing Bd in the Mountain Chicken frog (Leptodactylus fallax). In 2017-2018, she coordinated the European mitigation plan against Bsal from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wildlife Health Ghent group, at Ghent University, Belgium and has authored a few publications on the diagnosis and mitigation of Bsal in Europe. Two of these include “Recommendations on Diagnostic Tools for Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans” and “Mitigating Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans in Europe”. 

Dr. Thomas has extensive experience in both clinical veterinary medicine and medical education. Her work in veterinary medicine includes small-animal surgery, herd health management and pandemic influenza mitigation planning. She has also served as a Livestock Officer and Animal Control Officer in the Department of Agriculture in Anguilla and as an Agricultural Officer in the Ministry of Agriculture in the Commonwealth of Dominica.

In 2009, Dr. Thomas began her career in medical education at Ross University School of Medicine, where her roles included instructor, assistant professor, Director of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and course director in the Department of Medical Education/Department of Clinical Medicine and the Center for Teaching and Learning. She has also served at the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, in the roles of associate professor and Director of the Academic Support department. She developed and taught courses to improve student retention and success, including remediation courses and other interventions for academically at-risk students. She is passionate about helping students master the cognitive and non-cognitive skills essential for success and is committed to ensuring access, retention, graduation and personal and academic wellness for students from all backgrounds. 

Dr. Thomas has had several abstracts on teaching and learning accepted for presentation internationally.

• Medical Education 
• Problem-Based Learning 
• Teaching and Learning 
• Academic Support
• Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis
• Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans 
• Wildlife Disease Mitigation
• Molecular Microbiology

• Developing Solutions-Joint Chevening Award (British Council) 
• Excellence in Small Group Teaching Award (Ross University School of Medicine)

• Thomas, V., Van Rooij P., Meerpoel C., Stegen G., Wauters J., Vanhaecke L., Martel, A., Pasmans, F. (2020): Instant killing of pathogenic chytrid fungi by disposable nitrile gloves prevents disease transmission between amphibians. PLoS ONE 15(10): e0241048. 
• Thomas, V., Wang, Y., Van Rooij, P., Verbrugghe, E., Baláž, V., Bosch, J., Cunningham, A.A., Fisher, M.C., Garner, T.W.J., Gilbert, M., Grasselli, E., Kinet, T., Laudelout, A., Lötters, S., Loyau, A., Miaud, C., Salvidio, S., Schmeller, D.S., Schmidt, B.R., Spitzen-van der Sluijs, A., Steinfartz, S., Veith, M., Vences, M., Wagner, N., Canessa, S., Martel, A., Pasmans, F. (2019). Mitigating Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans in Europe. Amphibia-Reptilia.
• Thomas, V., Blooi, M., Van Rooij, P., Van Praet, S., Verbrugghe, E., Grasselli, E., Lukac, M., Smith, S., Pasmans, F., Martel, A. (2018): Recommendations on diagnostic tools for Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases 65: e478-e488. 
• Stark, T., Pasmans, F., Martel, A., Thomas, V., Gilbert, M., Spitzen, A. (2018): A European early warning system for a deadly salamander fungus. AArk Newsletter 42: 12-14
• Stark, T., Martel, A., Pasmans, F., Thomas, V., Gilbert, M., Spitzen, A. (2018): Un Sistema europeo de alerta temprana para un patogeno mortal para las salamandras. AArk Boletin Informativo 42: 12-14
• Gill D, Moore M, Winston K, Larsen N, Yin A, Callender D, Thomas V. A Thyroid Case for Year-One Medical Students. MedEdPORTAL Publications; 2014. Available from: https://www.mededportal.org/​publication/​9792 http://dx.doi.org/​10.15766/​mep_2374-8265.9792
• St. Hilaire R, Winston K, Harris-Alleyne J, Callender D, Thomas V, Gnecco S, Hall M, Ogrinc G, Frankel R. Student at Risk PBL Case. MedEdPORTAL; 2013. Available from: www.mededportal.org/publication/9483

• Preclinical Interventions for Improved Undergraduate Medical and Veterinary Education Outcomes
• Wildlife Health
• Wildlife Disease Mitigation
• Emerging Infectious Diseases (Diagnosis and Mitigation)

• Harris-Alleyne J, Winston K, Callender D, Thomas V, Gnecco S, Frankel  R (2010).Use of a parallel process PBL case to induce behavioral change in first semester medical students. Poster accepted at IAMSE Conference 2010 at New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, 10-13 July 2010
• Harris-Alleyne J, Winston K, Callender D, Thomas V, Gnecco S, Frankel R (2010). Use of a parallel process PBL case to induce behavioral change in first semester medical students. Short communication accepted at  AAME Conference 2010  at Glasgow, UK, 4-8 September 2010
• Thomas V, Grogan M, Callender  D (2011)The Effect of Reflective Practice on ethical decision making in 1^st year medical students. Poster accepted at AMEE Conference 2011 at Vienna Austria, August 27-31 
• Pederson D, Callender D, Thomas V (2011) Simulation and other small group activities and teaching modalities for curriculum Integration an exercise in building capacity. Secrets of Success presentation accepted at AMEE 2011 at Vienna, Austria, August 27-31
• S Gnecco, D Callender, J Cannon, N Selfridge, V Thomas, T Foster, R Frankel, G Ogrinc (2012). Integrating ACGME Core Competencies into Preclinical Undergraduate Medical Education at Ross University. Poster accepted at IAME Conference 2012 at Oregon, USA.  June 2012
• V Thomas, D Callender, S Gnecco, G Ogrinc (2012). Use of PBL to Teach the ACGME Core Competencies at Ross University School of Medicine. Poster accepted at IAMSE Conference 2012 at Oregon, USA. June 2012
• V. Thomas, K. Winston, A. Bateson, O. O’Donoghue, M. Light, L. Welke (2012).  Interpretation of Abstracts in a novel PBL case for first year medical students. Poster accepted at AMEE Conference 2012 at Lyon, France. August 25-29
• V. Thomas, M. Grogan, D. Callender (2013) Use of Reflective Practice to raise awareness of ethical issues in first year medical students. Poster accepted at IAMSE 2013 at Glasgow, Scotland. June 2013 
• V. Thomas, R. Sasso, N. Selfridge, R. St. Hilaire, J. Cannon, D. Callender (2013) Development of Small-Group Learning (SGL) at RUSM to deliver specific content on competencies and promote history-taking skills. Poster accepted at AMEE 2013 at Prague, Czech Republic. August 24-28th