Associate Professor
University of Colorado
Denver, CO, United States
Carissa M Thomas, MD PhD FACS; University of Colorado
Dr. Carissa Thomas was recruited as an associate professor and head and neck oncologist specializing in microvascular reconstruction to the CU Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery in 2024. She previously was at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). She is also a surgeon-scientist who is developing an outstanding research program in head and neck oncology within the department. Dr. Thomas earned her Ph.D. and M.D. in the Baylor College of Medicine Medical Scientist Training Program in Houston, Texas. She completed her residency in otolaryngology at the University of Colorado in Aurora, Colorado, and a fellowship in head and neck surgical oncology and microvascular reconstruction at the University of Toronto, Toronto, ON. Her research focuses on understanding ways in which an altered oral cavity microbiome (dysbiosis) promotes malignant transformation in head and neck cancer, specifically squamous cell carcinoma. Currently, her lab is investigating the oral microbiome as a biomarker of disease and predictor of prognosis to alter the microbiome to improve treatment response and prevent metastases and recurrence of head and neck cancer. She is also investigating ways the oral microbiome is related to cancer pain, nutrition, and surgical outcomes following major head and neck cancer surgery.
Disclosure information not submitted.
The Sternocleidomastoid Rotational Flap Decreases Great Vessel Exposure in Total Laryngectomy
Monday, October 13, 2025
4:24 PM - 4:30 PM EDT