Dr. Ynhi Thomas
Assistant Professor at Henry J.N. Taub Department of Emergency Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine
Currently based in: Houston, USA
MSc Medical Anthropology (2011)
Talk to me about: Clinical Trials and Research, Substance Use Disorders, PTSD, Suicide Prevention, Emergency Medicine, Building a Career as a Physician-Scientist
Dr. Ynhi Thomas, M.D., M.P.H., M.Sc., is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) and serves as the Assistant Medical Director of the Ben Taub Hospital Emergency Center in Houston, Texas, USA. She is also an Investigator in the Behavioral Health Program at the Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness, and Safety at the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center. With expertise in public health, behavioral health, and clinical leadership focused on operations and quality improvement, Dr. Thomas designs innovative interventions aimed at enhancing emergency care for patients experiencing mental health crises.
Her notable clinical contributions include the development of a Behavioral Health Sorting Tool, establishment of a multidisciplinary Crisis Intervention Team, and creation of data-driven guidelines for managing the use of physical restraints for her hospital system. Dr. Thomas’ research, funded by federal and private entities, primarily investigates substance use disorders, suicide prevention, and post-traumatic stress disorder. She has held significant roles as principal investigator, lead study physician, and co-investigator across various projects. Some of her current studies include exploring sex differences in early posttraumatic stress symptoms after injury, evaluating biomarkers of stress-related disorders, and assessing the human abuse potential of kratom.
Dr.Thomas’s professional achievements include the 2025 American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology New Investigator Award, 2025 Academy for Women in Academic Emergency Medicine Research Award, 2024 American College of Neuropsychopharmacology Early-Stage Investigator Assistance Program Award, the 2024 Chao Physician-Scientist Award, and the 2023 BCM Power of Professionalism Award. An inductee of Alpha Omega Alpha and The XXXI Honor Society, she earned her medical degree from the University of Alabama School of Medicine, her Master of Public Health from the University of Alabama School of Public Health, and her Master of Science in Medical Anthropology from Oxford University. She completed her residency in Emergency Medicine and fellowship in Leadership, Quality, and Administration at BCM.
If you would like to be put in touch with Ynhi, please contact development@stx.ox.ac.uk
