Angela Thomas

{{Short description|British paediatric haematologist}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2025}} {{Use British English|date=February 2018}} {{Infobox medical person |name = Angela Thomas |honorific_suffix = {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|OBE|FRCPE|FRCPath}} |image =Professor Angela Thomas - RCPE Honorary Librarian.jpg |alt = |caption =Thomas with a photograph of Isabella Pringle at the RCPE |birth_date = |birth_place = |death_date = |death_place = |profession = Physician |specialism = Paediatrics, haematology |research_field = |known_for = Vice Chair, Commission of Human Medicine (2015 - Present)<br /> Director of Heritage, Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/college/prof-angela-thomas-obe|title=Prof Angela Thomas OBE - Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh|website=www.rcpe.ac.uk}}</ref> |years_active = |education = Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry |work_institutions = Honorary Professor, University of Edinburgh College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ed.ac.uk/news/staff/2015/appointment-angela-thomas-110915|title=Appointment: Angela Thomas|publisher=}}</ref><br />President, British Society for Haematology (2012 - 2013)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ema.europa.eu/docs/en_GB/document_library/contacts/athomas1_CV.pdf|title=A Thomas CV, European Medicines Agency}}</ref> |prizes = |relations = }}

'''Angela Eleine Thomas''' is a physician originally specialising in paediatric haematology who has held leading roles during her long career in health and medicine. She is a non-executive director for the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Meet the team - Cell & Gene Therapy |url=https://ct.catapult.org.uk/about/team |access-date=27 October 2023 |website=ct.catapult.org.uk |language=en-GB}}</ref> She has had a leading role in the regulation of medicines at National, European and International level and until 2018 was vice chair of the UK government’s Commission on Human Medicines, chairing its Clinical Trials, Biologicals and Vaccines Expert Advisory Group.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Admin |date=2 July 2013 |title=Prof Angela Thomas OBE |url=https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/college/prof-angela-thomas-obe |access-date=27 October 2023 |website=www.rcpe.ac.uk |language=en}}</ref>

== Early life and education == Thomas was born in Surbiton, Surrey in June 1957.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Angela Eleine THOMAS personal appointments - Find and update company information - GOV.UK |url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/RWgk0NFzWXXj1xCIuFqGL2nArIA/appointments |access-date=27 October 2023 |website=find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk |language=en}}</ref> She initially won a scholarship to attend a local high school then was awarded a junior scholarship for piano at the Royal Academy of Music London between 1969 - 1973. After completing her school years, Thomas attended St Bartholomew's Medical College achieving a Bachelor of Medicine with honors in 1980.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Admin |date=2 July 2013 |title=Prof Angela Thomas OBE |url=https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/college/prof-angela-thomas-obe |access-date=10 October 2023 |website=www.rcpe.ac.uk |language=en}}</ref> She trained in adult haematology, subsequently specialising in paediatric haematology. In 1996 Thomas was awarded a PhD From University College London, for her research into fibrinogen.<ref>{{Cite thesis |title=Genetic variation at the alpha- and beta-fibrinogen loci and its association with plasma fibrinogen levels; ethnic differences and environmental interactions |url=https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10099840/ |publisher=UCL (University College London) |date=1996 |degree=Doctoral |first=Angela Eleine |last=Thomas}}</ref>

== Career ==

Thomas worked in the NHS as a haematologist for nearly 40 years where she specialised in the care of children with congenital and acquired bleeding disorders, including leukemia and immune deficiency.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |url=https://www.infectedbloodinquiry.org.uk/sites/default/files/documents/WITN4741001%20-%20Written%20Statement%20of%20Professor%20Angela%20Thomas%3B%2012%20Mar%202021.pdf |title=Infected Blood Inquiry: Written Statement of Professor Angela Thomas |publisher=Infected Blood Inquiry United Kingdom |date=12 March 2021 |access-date=25 December 2025}}</ref> Between 1993 and 2017 she was a consultant haematologist for the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh. She became head of the haematology laboratory at RHSC from Jan 1993 until March 2000. Then was the lead clinician for the integrated haematology/biochemistry laboratory in April 2000.<ref name=":0" /> From 2011 until 2017 she was Director of the Edinburgh Haemophilia Comprehensive Care Centre.

She is on the National Emergency Stockpile Quality Panel.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/446872/Human_Medicines_Regulations_2012_Advisory_Bodies_Annual_Report_2014.pdf |title=Human Medicines Regulations 2012 Advisory Bodies Annual Report 2014 |publisher=Commission on Human Medicines British Pharmacopoeia Commission |access-date=25 December 2025}}</ref>

She is vice-chair of the Commission on Human Medicines and chairs the Clinical Trials, Biologicals & Vaccines Expert Advisory Group.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-vice-chair-appointed-to-commission-on-human-medicines|title=New vice-chair appointed to Commission on Human Medicines|publisher=Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency |via=Government of the United Kingdom |date=19 January 2015 |access-date=25 December 2025}}</ref>

She is a Scientific Committee Member and expert with the European Medicines Agency.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ema.europa.eu/docs/en_GB/document_library/contacts/athomas1_DI.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180314174242/https://www.ema.europa.eu/docs/en_GB/document_library/contacts/athomas1_DI.pdf |archive-date=14 March 2018 |title=Public Declaration of Interests and Confidentiality Undertaking of European Medicines Agency (EMA), Scientific Committee members and experts Public declaration of interests |publisher=European Medicines Agency}}</ref> She was awarded an OBE for services to the regulation of public health in the 2018 New Years Honours.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-years-honours-list-2018 |title=New Year's Honours list 2018 |publisher=Government of the United Kingdom |date=29 December 2017 |access-date=22 February 2018}}</ref>

She was acting President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE) from June 2020 through June 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |date=4 June 2020 |title=Acting President – Professor Angela Thomas OBE |url=https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/college/acting-president-professor-angela-thomas-obe |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804135420/https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/college/acting-president-professor-angela-thomas-obe |archive-date=4 August 2020 |access-date=10 October 2023 |publisher=Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh}}</ref>

=== Awards and honours === In 2018, Thomas was awarded an OBE<ref>{{Cite web |title=Page N1 {{!}} Supplement 62150, 30 December 2017 {{!}} London Gazette {{!}} The Gazette |url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/62150/supplement/N1 |access-date=10 October 2023 |website=www.thegazette.co.uk}}</ref> for her services to the Regulation of Medicines for the protection and promotion of Public Health.

{{s-start}} {{s-aca}} {{s-bef |before=Andrew Elder}} {{s-ttl |title=President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh |years=2020 - 2021}} {{s-aft |after=Andrew Elder}} {{s-end}}

== References == {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Angela}} Category:British women medical doctors Category:Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh Category:Living people Category:Fellows of the Royal College of Pathologists Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Presidents of the British Society for Haematology Category:Officers_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire