Profile
Dr Biju Thomas was trained in India, Australia and the United Kingdom. He worked at Royal Manchester Children’s hospital UK as Consultant in Paediatric Respiratory Medicine, before moving to Singapore in 2011. He is currently a senior consultant in Paediatric Respiratory Medicine at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore and also holds academic appointments with the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, in Singapore. His clinical special interests include asthma, bronchiectasis, flexible bronchoscopy, paediatric sleep medicine, long term ventilation, Cystic Fibrosis and Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD). Dr. Thomas’s fields of research interests include paediatric sleep medicine, asthma and Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia. He is a member of the European Respiratory Society and a fellow of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.
Education
- 2012 RST (Registered Sleep Technologist), ABSM, USA
- 2011 RPSGT (Registered Polysomnographic Technologist), BRPT, USA
- 2011 European Diploma in Paediatric Respiratory Medicine (ERS)
http://hermes.ersnet.org/diplomate-registry/item/biju-2.html - 2011 MD (Research): University of Leicester, United Kingdom
- 2010 FRCPCH (Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health), UK
- 2009 Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT Paediatric Respiratory Medicine): UK
- 2009 Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT Paediatrics): UK
- 2005 Certificate in Clinical Education, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
- 2003 MRCPCH (Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health), UK
- 2000 DNB Paediatrics, National Board of Examinations, India
- 2000 MD Paediatrics (3 years paediatric residency program) St John’s Medical College Bangalore, India
- 1996 MBBS Medical College Kottayam, Kerala, India
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Professional Appointments and Committee Memberships
- Senior Consultant, Paediatric Respiratory Medicine, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, 2011-Present
- Adj Asst Professor, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
Member:
- European Respiratory Society
- British Paediatric Respiratory Society
- Indian Academy of Paediatrics
- British Medical Association
Fellow:
- Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, UK
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Awards
- 2014 SingHealth Quality of Service Gold Award
- 2013 SingHealth Service from the Heart Award
- 2008 American Thoracic Society (ATS) International Travel Award, ATS Toronto
- 2008 Prize for the best research presentation, Institute of Lung Health (ILH) 8th Annual Research Meeting (joint research meeting of Universities of Leicester and Nottingham, UK)
- 2007 Cystic Fibrosis foundation travel award, North American CF conference, Anaheim, USA
- 2006 British Lung Foundation Research Fellowship, European Respiratory Congress, Munich
- 2004 British Lung Foundation Research Fellowship, European Respiratory Congress, Glasgow
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Research Interests
- Asthma
- Paediatric Sleep Medicine
- Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia
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Publications
- Thomas B, Hirst RA, Brett-Pitt MH, Williams G, Andrew PW, Sousa AR, Marshall RP, Brightling C, O'Callaghan C. Severe asthma: Differential chemokine response of airway epithelial cells. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2017 Oct;140(4):1149-1152. JIF: 12.485
- Thomas B, Chay OM, Allen JC Jr, Chiang AS, Pugalenthi A, Goh A, Wong P, Teo AH, Tan SG, Teoh OH. Concordance between bronchial hyperresponsiveness, fractional exhaled nitric oxide, and asthma control in children. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2016 Oct; 51(10):1004-1009. JIF: 2.85
- Biju Thomas, Paul Aurora, Helen Spencer, Martin Elliott, Andrew Rutman, Robert A Hirst, Christopher O'Callaghan. Persistent disruption of ciliated epithelium following paediatric lung transplantation. Eur Respir J 2012 40:1245-1252. JIF: 10.569
- Thomas B, Rutman A, Hirst RA, Haldar P, Wardlaw AJ, Bankart J, Brightling CE, O’Callaghan C. Ciliary dysfunction and ultrastructural abnormalities are features of severe asthma. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 2010; 126: 772-779. JIF: 12.485
- Thomas B, Rutman A, O’Callaghan C. Disruption of respiratory epithelium results in a slower ciliary beat frequency and increased dyskinesia. Eur Respir J 2009; 34(2): 293-4. JIF: 10.569
- Hardjojo A, Goh A, Shek LP, Van Bever HP, Teoh OH, Soh JY, Thomas B, Tan BH, Chan YH, Ramamurthy MB, Goh DY, Soh SE, Saw SM, Kwek K, Chong YS, Godfrey KM, Gluckman PD, Lee BW. Rhinitis in the first 18 months of life: exploring the role of respiratory viruses. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2015 Feb;26(1):25-33. JIF: 3.775
- Onoufriadis A, Shoemark A, Schmidts M, Patel M, Jimenez G, Liu H, Thomas B, Dixon M, Hirst RA, Rutman A, Burgoyne T, Williams C, Scully J, Bolard F, Lafitte JJ, Beales PL, Hogg C, Yang P, Chung EM, Emes RD, O'Callaghan C, Bouvagnet P, Mitchison HM. Targeted NGS gene panel identifies mutations in RSPH1 causing primary ciliary dyskinesia and a common mechanism for ciliary central pair agenesis due to radial spoke defects. Hum Mol Genet. 2014 Jul 1; 23(13):3362-74. JIF: 5.985
- Ta LDH, Yap GC, Tay CJX, Lim ASM, Huang CH, Chu CW, De Sessions PF, Shek LP, Goh A, Van Bever HPS, Teoh OH, Soh JY, Thomas B, Ramamurthy MB, Goh DYT, Lay C, Soh SE, Chan YH, Saw SM, Kwek K, Chong YS, Godfrey KM, Hibberd ML, Lee BW. Establishment of the nasal microbiota in the first 18 months of life: Correlation with early-onset rhinitis and wheezing. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2018 Feb 13. pii: S0091-6749(18)30221-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2018.01.032. [Epub ahead of print]. JIF: 12.485
- Thomas B, Shyam R, Flett J G, Kirk C R, Spencer DA. Chronic respiratory complications in pediatric heart transplant recipients. J Heart Lung Transplant 2007; 26(3):236-40. JIF: 7.114
- Thomas B, Pugalenthi A, Chilvers M. Pleuropulmonary complications of infection by Panton Valentine Leukocidin (PVL) positive Staphylococcus aureus. Acta paediatr 2009; 98(8): 1372-5. JIF: 1.674
- B. Thomas, A. Pugalenthi, H Patel, G. Woltmann, J. Bankart, W. Hoskyns. Concordance between tuberculin skin test and interferon-γ assay and interferon-γ response to mitogen in paediatric tuberculosis contacts. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2011; 46(12): 1225-32. JIF: 2.85
- Rao S D S, Thomas B. Electrolyte abnormalities in children admitted to a paediatric intensive care unit. Indian Paediatrics 2000; 37: 1348-53. JIF: 1.152
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Research Trials
- Research Thesis (MD) - University of Leicester, United Kingdom
Ciliated epithelium in respiratory diseases. University of Leicester, United Kingdom, 2011
Available at http://hdl.handle.net/2381/9568 (University of Leicester, United Kingdom, Leicester Research Archive) - Is ciliary dysfunction a feature of the frequent-exacerbation phenotype of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)?.2013-2015
- Pilot study of novel urinary biomarkers for distinguishing Obstructive Sleep Apnea from Primary Snoring in children. 2012-2013
- Effect of step up therapy on bronchial hyperresponsiveness in children with uncontrolled asthma on inhaled steroid monotherapy. 2011 -2013
- Exposure of Singapore children to airborne black carbon and nanoparticles and their effects on bronchial epithelial cells. 2013-2014
- Study of clinical phenotypes of childhood asthma. 2016 - ongoing
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