Jennifer Muncy Thomas, MD
Pediatric Neurologist
Associate Professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center
Service Chief at Children's Health
- Languages Spoken:
- English
Biography
Jennifer Muncy Thomas, M.D., knew medicine was the right career for her after watching her father work as a family medicine physician. After her grandmother was diagnosed with ALS, Dr. Muncy Thomas became interested in neurology. She fell in love with pediatric neurology during training.
“I love being able to work with families and help them through tough experiences related to neurologic disease,” says Dr. Muncy Thomas. “I enjoy being there to support my patients during their younger years and as they grow and become older.”
I enjoy being there to support my patients during their younger years and as they grow and become older.
Dr. Muncy Thomas provides highly specialized care as a neonatal neurologist and Director of the Fetal and Neonatal Neurology program at Children’s Health. She works with children who are born with neurological conditions or experience brain injuries, such as asphyxia or hypoxia, during birth. In some cases, she is able to begin working with families through the FETAL Clinic, helping guide them before a child is even born.
“Neonatal neurology is a new field and a new program at Children’s Health,” says Dr. Muncy Thomas. “We are growing to offer great neurologic care to newborns and provide continuity of care throughout children’s lives. It’s so rewarding to know these children from birth and watch them grow up to do things we didn’t think they’d be able to do.”
Dr. Muncy Thomas is an Associate Professor at UT Southwestern, where she teaches medical students, residents and other physicians about the neurological conditions that can affect infants. She also participates in clinical research, striving to improve outcomes for children who experience trauma during birth.
Dr. Muncy Thomas earned her medical degree at University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. She completed her residency in pediatrics at Phoenix Children’s Hospital and her residency in pediatric neurology at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
In her free time, Dr. Muncy Thomas enjoys spending time with her spouse and two children.
Education and Training
- Medical School
- University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (2009)
- Residency
- UT Southwestern - Children's Medical Center (2015), Pediatric Neurology
Phoenix Children's Hospital (2012), Pediatrics - Board Certification
- American Board of Psy&Neurology/Child Neurology
Conditions
Treatments
Departments and Programs
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Research Interests
- Communicating difficult news with families
- Fetal and neonatal neurology
- Neurodevelopmental outcomes
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Publications
- Human Parechovirus (HPeV) infections: clinical presentations, patterns, and evolution of neonatal brain injury. Oren MS, Clarke RL, Price M, Thomas JM, Machie M, Dolce AM, Chalak LF, Angelis D. J Perinatol. 2024 Apr;44(4):581-583. doi: 10.1038/s41372-023-01851-w. Epub 2023 Dec 27. PMID: 38151597
- EEG and clinical characteristics of neonatal parechovirus encephalitis. Sirsi D, Lowden A, Dolce A, Machie M, Thomas J, Joshi C. Epilepsy Res. 2023 May;192:107143. doi: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2023.107143. Epub 2023 Apr 17. PMID: 37084674
- Placental pathologic lesions associated with stroke in term neonates. Leon RL, Kalvacherla V, Andrews MM, Thomas JM, Mir IN, Chalak LF. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2022 Sep 8;13:920680. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2022.920680. eCollection 2022. PMID: 36157451
- Case 1: Apnea and Hypotonia in a 1-month-old Infant. Hoge MK, Thomas JM, Hanners NW, Castro DP, Ali N. Neoreviews. 2019 Oct;20(10):e592-e593. doi: 10.1542/neo.20-10-e592. PMID: 31575781
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Professional Activities
- American Academy of Neurology
- Child Neurology Society
- Newborn Brain Society
- Texas Neurological Society
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Awards and Honors
- D Magazine Best Doctor (2022)
- Texas Super Doctors Rising Star (2021-2022) Texas Monthly
- Best Pediatric Specialist (2021), D Magazine
- Nominee, Program Development Award (2020) UT Southwestern Medical Center
- Nominee, Rising Star Award (2019) UT Southwestern Medical Center
- Nominee, Senior of the Month (2011) Phoenix Children’s Hospital/Maricopa Medical Center Pediatric Residency Program
- Nominee, Intern of the Month (2010) Phoenix Children’s Hospital/Maricopa Medical Center Pediatric Residency Program