Behind every successful blood transfusion at Boston Medical Center (BMC) stands Dr. Reggie Thomasson. As chief and vice chair of laboratory medicine, he and his team ensure patients—including those living with sickle cell disease—and their complex procedures run like clockwork. Dr. Thomasson leads the hospital's blood bank with a razor-sharp focus on patient safety and innovative treatment protocols, recently earning himself the BMC New Faculty Excellence Award. His unconventional path—from studying ecology and botanical science to becoming a transfusion medicine specialist—showcases his ability to excel in any varied, difficult situation he may face.
We sat down with Dr. Thomasson to explore his background and the innovation driving his impactful work.
1. What brought you to Boston Medical Center?
BMC is actually my first job after my fellowship. During my interview process, I visited several potential employers, but from the moment I walked into BMC, I felt welcomed. The people were friendly, and I was especially impressed by the laboratory setup—specifically the blood bank, which is my specialty in transfusion medicine. It felt like a place where I could see myself thriving, especially at the start of my career.
Beyond that, BMC's patient population really resonated with me. It’s similar to where I trained during medical school and residency—very diverse. I appreciated that familiarity. In many ways, choosing BMC felt like coming home.
2. What aspect of your role gives you the most satisfaction?
What I’m most proud of is the level of care we provide to patients. I think about our work with patients living with sickle cell disease. It’s a tough disease that can affect all organ systems. It primarily (not solely) affects people of African descent, which is significant since individuals may often live in underserved communities.
BMC is a designated Center of Excellence for sickle cell care, and we work hard to provide the most cutting-edge therapies, including gene therapy. That’s incredibly impressive to me and makes me proud to be part of this team.
3. Why did you choose to specialize in laboratory medicine?
My career path is a bit of a winding road. My advice to anyone figuring out their career is to follow your interests at every step. Initially, I was pursuing a master’s degree in ecology, with a focus on botany—completely different from medicine. I needed one more course to complete my hours, and that course happened to be Mechanisms of Disease, essentially a pathology course. I fell in love with it and pivoted my career goals.
That led me to medical school. It’s rare to enter medical school already knowing you want to be a pathologist, but that was me. During my residency, I planned to be an anatomic pathologist, but when I did a rotation in blood bank and transfusion medicine, I fell in love with clinical pathology and again pivoted. It offered a little more patient interaction than most specialties in pathology and I enjoyed it. So, I leaned into transfusion medicine and haven’t looked back. I haven’t used a microscope to diagnose a disease in over seven years now!
4. How do you disconnect from work and recharge?
First, I walk to and from work every day. I live in Jamaica Plain, so I take the train to Mass Ave., and instead of hopping on a bus, I walk through the South End neighborhood. It’s a great way to decompress after a long day and get energized in the morning.
I also exercise about four times a week, which has been great for my mental and physical health. And I love to travel, especially to places with beautiful beaches. I’ve recently been to the Philippines and Hawaii.
5. Who or what inspires you?
First and foremost, my family. They’ve been incredibly supportive, even if they don’t fully understand what I do. My mom, my late father, my niece, my nephew—they’ve always been in my corner.
I’m also inspired by the patients we treat and the residents I help train. Seeing residents grow into future pathologists is incredibly rewarding.
