Ames B. Thomas
Ames B. Thomas Assistant Professor | Nursing
Building #1, Unit: Pdx Office 164
Dr. Ames B. Thomas is a nurse educator and researcher dedicated to advancing health equity and social justice for historically marginalized communities. Their program of research focuses on improving healthcare delivery, research, and practice accessibility, particularly for individuals with language and cognitive disabilities.
Dr. Thomas's scientific contributions include enhancing communication for patients with post-stroke aphasia, facilitating participation in Alzheimer’s and related dementias research, and engaging in bidirectional knowledge sharing with American Indian Tribal leaders. Their clinical nursing experience is diverse, spanning intensive care, neurological trauma, and advanced neurodegenerative conditions, alongside nursing education. When not working, Dr. Thomas enjoys being outside, gardening, or spending time reading, crocheting, or knitting with their wife and "zoo" of animals.
Education
B.S., Nursing, Valdosta State University, 2014
Ph.D., Nursing, Washington State University, 2024
Academic Interests
Dr. Thomas's research and academic interests are unified by the goal of advancing health equity and transforming healthcare systems to be radically more accessible, inclusive, and safe for underserved communities. Their work is organized around three central, interconnected themes:
Accessible Healthcare: Developing evidence-based, transformative tools and communication protocols that ensure active participation and reduce harm for individuals with cognitive and language disabilities. This includes research on enhancing communication between patients with post-stroke aphasia and healthcare professionals.
Dismantling Systemic Barriers: Identifying, analyzing, and intervening upon the structural and systemic barriers that deprive people with disabilities and other marginalized groups from active, informed participation in their own care, thereby mitigating their risk for increased harm.
Structural Equity and Workforce Justice: Investigating the effects of systemic racism and colonization on patient health outcomes and psychological safety within healthcare settings. This theme also includes developing strategies to improve the recruitment and retention of a diverse workforce that reflects the communities being served.
Publications
Thomas, A. B., Matthews, A. L., Brooks, O., Winquist, A., Nelson, L. A., Arias-Fontenot, R., Buchwald, D., Casaletto, K. B., Weintraub, S., Heaton, R. K., French, B. F., Suchy-Dicey, A., & Barbosa-Leiker, C. (2025). Psychometric properties of the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery composites in older adults at risk for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias: A systematic review. Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association, 21(10), e70673.
Roberts, K., Oziel, K., King, K., Ali, T., West, C., Umans, J., O'Leary, M., Mohr, M., Thomas, A.B., French, B.F., Barbosa-Leiker, C., Suchy-Dicey, A. (In prep). Working with field centers to implement the NIH Toolbox in American Indian communities: The Strong Heart Study. Applied Psychological Measurement.
Thomas, A. B., Fergadiotis, G., Nelson, L. A., Van Son, C. R., & Barbosa-Leiker, C. (2025). Understanding the Care Needs of People With Post-Stroke Aphasia: A Qualitative Study of Stroke Care Transitions. Global Qualitative Nursing Research, 12, 23333936251346440.
Thomas, A. B., Van Son, C. R., Nelson, L. A., Fergadiotis, G., & Barbosa-Leiker, C. (2025). A Principle-Based Concept Analysis of Supported Conversation for Adults With Aphasia. Research and Theory for Nursing Practice, 39(3), 397–419.
Thomas, A.B., Oziel, K., Kessler, J., Haseman, N., Green, J., Roberts, K., Brooks, O., King, R., Ali, T., West, C., O'Leary, M, Suchy-Dicey, A., Barbosa-Leiker, C. (2024). Working with field centers to implement the NIH Toolbox in American Indian communities: The Strong Heart Study. NIH Toolbox® Assessments Conference, National Institutes of Health. Bethesda, MD
Thomas, A.B., & Barbosa-Leiker, C. (2023). The Aphasia Care Transitions and Communicative
Access Measure (ACTCAM): A Multimethod Approach to Developing and Pretesting an Innovative Patient Reported Outcome. Poster presented at the 2023 Inland Northwest Research Symposium, Spokane, WA.
Sperling, R. A., Donohue, M. C., Raman, R., Rafii, M. S., Johnson, K., Masters, C. L., van Dyck, C.H., Iwatsubo, T., Marshall, G. A., Yaari, R., Mancini, M., Holdridge, K. C., Case, M.,Sims, J. R., Aisen, P. S., & A4 Study Team (2023). Trial of Solanezumab in preclinicalAlzheimer's Disease. The New England journal of medicine, 389(12), 1096–1107.
Colorafi, K., Thomas, A.B., Wilson, M., & Corbett, C. F. (2021). Perspectives of Aging Adults Who Frequently Seek Emergency Department Care. Pain Management Nursing, 22(2), 184–190.
Jonas Scholar, American Association of Colleges of Nursing, Jonas Philanthropies, 2018 – 2020.