Nemours Biomedical Research

Thomas H. Shaffer, MS.E, PhD

Director of Nemours Research Lung Center
Professor of Pediatrics
Thomas Jefferson School of Medicine

Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children
Nemours Biomedical Research
1600 Rockland Road
Wilmington, DE 19803

Phone: (215) 707-3239
E-mail: tshaffer@nemours.org

Education
Ph.D., Applied Mathematics, Drexel University, 1972
M.S., Applied Mathematics, Drexel University, 1970
B.S., Mechanical Engineering & Mathematics, Drexel University, 1968

Biography:
Thomas H. Shaffer, MS.E., Ph.D., is Professor Emeritus of Physiology and Pediatrics.  He also holds the position of Professor of Pediatrics at Thomas Jefferson Medical College.  Dr. Shaffer received his doctorate from Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, did postdoctoral work at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and has been a member of the faculty of the Temple University School of Medicine since 1976. Dr. Shaffer has 28 years of experience as an active scientist in pulmonary research with special attention to the needs of the neonatal and pediatric populations.  Dr. Shaffer’s revolutionary work with the use of perfluorochemicals for liquid ventilation for respiratory distress syndrome, blood substitutes and imaging is known worldwide, and he is considered an international expert in this field.  In addition, he is renown for his work in developmental airway physiology and clinical pulmonary function evaluation in neonates.

Since 1974, Dr. Shaffer has been continuously supported by NIH grants (17) and academic, corporate and private institutional awards (42 total).  His early NIH grants were awarded during a period when corporate sponsors were not readily supporting work in his area of interest, and the resultant science acted as a catalyst for procuring many other grants from the private and corporate sectors.  The excellence of his corporate-sponsored research has resulted in 12 licensed patents.   In September 2004, Dr. Shaffer was awarded a Center for Biomedical Research Excellent (COBRE) grant from the National Institutes of Health for the development of a Center for Pediatric Research at the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware.  He serves as the Director of the new Center and administers its staff, revenues and research.  Dr. Shaffer clearly understands translational research, having moved multiple intellectual properties from the bench top to the clinic and on to industry.

Dr. Shaffer’s contribution to the literature has been significant.  He has published 67 book chapters, 220 peer-reviewed manuscripts (with another 20 in review or in press), and 460 abstracts.  His clinical manuscripts have been published in Lancet, The New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of Pediatrics, Pediatrics, Critical Care Medicine and many more highly respected and well-read periodicals.  In addition, he has published basic science manuscripts in the Journal of Applied Physiology, the American Journal of Physiology, and the American Journal of Circulatory Research.  He serves on the Editorial Boards of three scientific journals and is a journal reviewer for another 22 publications.

RECENT PRESS

Health experts to address issues in education, research, practice
January 26, 2012--DHSA will hold its inaugural Global Health Symposium on Saturday, Feb. 4 at CCHS. The program will focus on education, research and practice, with presentations on topics ranging from refugee health clinics and relief medicine to anthropological approaches to the study of global health.
Christiana Care issues a call to men to prevent domestic violence
January 24, 2012--Christiana Care, a National Community Center of Excellence in Women's Health, has been working for years to help women who are victims of domestic violence at an annual event that offers resources, education and support.
After Holiday Eating Marathon, Jefferson Dietitian Offers 10 Tips to Get Back on Track and Kick Start New Year's Weight Loss Resolution
January 4, 2012--Celebrating the New Year goes hand-in-hand with creating resolutions to get healthy and trim - especially after weeks of holiday marathon eating. Dietitian Emily Rubin, R.D., L.D., with the Division of Gastroenterology at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, says you can stay committed to being healthy and fit by following these 10 tips.
Procedure saves teen after rare carotid trauma
January 4, 2012--Neurointerventionalist Gregg Zoarski, M.D.'s recent surgical grand rounds lecture on carotid artery injuries focused on how to repair traumatic injuries to these vital vessels that supply blood to the brain.
Medical students delighted with Delaware branch campus Christiana Care is participating in Jefferson Medical College’s Delaware Branch Campus program, underscoring the transformative role the health system plays in medical education.
December 23, 2011--This achievement specifically spotlights our core competency in providing clinical education to third- and fourth-year medical students. Christiana Care has a long-standing relationship in providing first-rate medical education to students from Jefferson, one of the country's top-rated medical collleges.
Healthy Kids Delaware (HKD) Network celebrated its one-year anniversary earlier this month.
December 22, 2011--Earlier this month the Healthy Kids Delaware (HKD) network celebrated its one-year anniversary. The Healthy Kids Delaware network has been working to address health and wellness needs of children throughout New Castle County.
Interprofessional Care for the 21st Century: Redefining Education and Practice
December 14, 2011--Registration is now open for Jefferson InterProfessional Education Center's (JCIPE) 2012 conference: Interprofessional Care for the 21st Century: Redefining Education and Practice. The conference will be held on May 18-19, 2012 at Dorrance H. Hamilton Building, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA. The purpose of this conference is to showcase scholarly work and works in progress advancing interprofessional education and/or practice. This conference reflects on innovative implementation and evaluation strategies of the interprofessional competencies.
Nemours participates in Partnership for a Healthier America Summit
December 8, 2011--The Partnership, of which Nemours is a founding member, has a mission of supporting First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! campaign by working with the private sector to fight childhood obesity. The theme that emerged at the summit, a gathering of leaders from business and industry, academia, nonprofits and government, was: "Make the healthy choice the easy choice."
DHSA plans workshop on collaborative education for clinicians and scientists
December 8, 2011--DHSA will host "Creating Clinical and Research Teams for the Future: Workshop on Collaborative Education for Clinicians and Scientists" on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012, at the Ammon Education Center of Christiana Hospital. This workshop focuses on developing skills to write educational grants. The program will include information on how to obtain educational grant funding, set goals and evaluate an educational program, and develop an application for the DHSA Education Pilot Award.