Cathi-Ann A. Thomas, MS

Biography

Cathi Thomas, MS earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Boston State College in 1979 and a Master of Science in Nursing from Boston University School of Nursing in 1987 as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Neurology and Rehabilitation Nursing. She is ABNN certified in Neuroscience Nursing. She joined the Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine Department of Neurology in 1984. She has worked extensively with individuals with Parkinson’s disease and their families. As a Clinical Nurse Specialist, she has developed programs to assess the impact of Parkinson’s disease on patient’s and families. Her research activities have included participation in over fifty research studies and she is an active member of the Parkinson Study Group (PSG). She was a co-investigator in a NIH-NIA study “Self-Management in Parkinson’s Disease.” This work examined the role of exercise and education on quality of life. Positive results of this study have led to the ongoing development of “Wellness Exercise Programs” in Massachusetts. She was a co-investigator in the NIH study “Social Self-Management in Parkinson’s.” Cathi Thomas has published numerous educational materials for patients and families. She has co-authored Parkinson’s Disease A Guide to Patient Care. She is an author in over twenty peer-reviewed publications. As Coordinator of the American Parkinson Disease Association Information and Referral Center, she has participated in over 250 presentations to professional and lay groups. She regularly speaks to support groups and educates health care professionals about PD. She has facilitated local and national conferences for the APDA and American Association of Neuroscience Nurses. She is the Site-Director of the PF Edmond J. Safra Visiting Nurse Faculty Program and is a member of the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses, Movement Disorders Society, and Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society and is the recipient of the Mary Ann Garrigan Contemporary Nurse Leader Award from Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Honor Society and the American Parkinson Disease Association National Service Award.