Thomas' heralded research in the field of radiation oncology made him desirable to OHSU's radiation department.
"The future of oncology in Oregon has been strengthened enormously by the addition of Dr. Thomas," said Grover C. Bagby, M.D., director of the OHSU Cancer Institute.
Since his appointment in November, Thomas has added two programs to the department -- an image-guided radiation therapy program and a new branch called the Division of Cancer and Radiation Biology -- and has more plans for the future.
The Portland-based university hopes to define itself as one of the top academic radiation programs in the country with the opening of its new patient treatment facility next year.
The hope is that Thomas can combine top-quality patient care and substantial research to turn OHSU into one of the best multidisciplinary care centers in the country.
The university is also preparing a medical informatics and clinical epidemiology program, and Thomas has a radiation medical graduate program in the works.
"The residency training program is poised to train the next generation of academic-ready medical school students to be academic leaders," Thomas said.
Thomas has pledged to continue the department's goal of improving the quality of life and cost-effectiveness of clinical radiation therapy.
Thomas' background in medical oncology gives him the broad perspective to work across disciplines and across schools, he said.
"It's important that our department does not have a 'silo' mentality in that we reach across to different departments, different schools," he said.
After medical school at the University of Illinois' College of Medicine, Thomas trained in internal medicine, medical oncology and radiation oncology at Baylor College, Rush University and the University of Washington, respectively.
Thomas left a position at the University of Texas' Health Science Center to accept the chairman position at OHSU. Prior to that, Thomas had taught at the University of South Carolina until 2000.
As an undergraduate at Dartmouth, Thomas majored in biology modified with education and believes it was important to combine the two disciplines.
"Biology is a clear choice for a future in medicine, but education is also important," he said. "My father and grandfather were both educators."
The OHSU community is excited about the changes Thomas will continue to bring to the university.
"Charles Thomas will move radiation oncology at OHSU to world-class status in its teaching and research missions and further enhance the quality care we provide our patients," said Joseph E. Robertson Jr., M.D., M.B.A., Dean of the OHSU School of Medicine.
