Thomas N Hansen, MD

Thomas N Hansen, MD

Research Center: Center for Integrative Brain Research

"Before becoming a hospital CEO more than a decade ago, I spent about three-quarters of my time in the laboratory trying to find ways to save the lives of premature babies with lung disease. Today, I spend one day a week at Seattle Childrens Research Institute developing low-cost ways to help infants around the world deal with respiratory problems that accompany premature birth. Why my continued interest in medical research? I think its the key to eliminating all childhood diseases. I know that sounds grandiose, but I truly believe that research breakthroughs in our lifetimes will allow us to see the end of childhood diseases like cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy and sickle cell anemia just like our parents or grandparents saw an end to the polio epidemics of their generation."

  • Biography

    Thomas N. Hansen, MD, is a Principal Investigator with the Center for Developmental Therapeutics at Seattle Childrens Research Institute. The Seattle Childrens Hospital Board of Trustees honored him with the "Tom Hansen Investigator in Pediatric Innovation Endowment" with initial funding of $5 million. The endowment is intended to promote innovative thinking and entrepreneurship that supports Childrens mission to prevent, treat and eliminate pediatric disease. Dr. Hansen is the initial holder of the endowment. He and his team of researchers will continue to focus on bringing the Seattle-PAP (positive airway pressure) device a far less costly alternative for babies born prematurely in low-resource countries to market.

    Dr. Hansen joined Seattle Childrens in October of 2005 as CEO and a pediatric neonatologist. While serving as CEO over the past 10 years, Dr. Hansen maintained his passion for research as a principal investigator in the Center for Developmental Therapeutics, at the Seattle Childrens Research Institute.

    He is a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine and Adjunct Professor in the University of Washington Department of Bioengineering. Dr. Hansen received his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine, with postdoctoral fellowships in neonatal-perinatal medicine at Baylor and in pediatric pulmonary disease at the University of California, San Francisco.

    Under Dr. Hansens leadership, Seattle Childrens consistently placed among the nations best childrens hospitals by U.S. News & World Report and was ranked in the top five in National Institutes of Health funding for pediatric research. During his tenure he worked closely with board members, physicians, staff and the community to significantly expand the hospitals clinical and research capabilities to support a growing need for the specialized services that Seattle Childrens provides to the region. He lead the organization with a bold vision of becoming the best pediatric hospital in the nation.

    Formerly Dr. Hansen served as CEO of Nationwide Childrens Hospital while retaining his title of Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics with The Ohio State University. During his ten-years in Columbus, Nationwide became one of the nations five largest, free-standing childrens hospitals and one of the ten largest pediatric research centers.

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  • Awards and Honors

    Award Name Award Description Awarded By Award Date
    Tom Hansen Investigator in Pediatric Innovation Endowment Seattle Children's Research Institute Oct. 2018

  • Publications

    Other Publications

    • Diblasi RM, Zignego JC, Smith CV, Hansen TN, Richardson CP
      Effective gas exchange in paralyzed juvenile rabbits using simple, inexpensive respiratory support devices.
      20814347 Pediatric research, 2010 Sep 1
    • Diblasi RM, Zignego JC, Tang DM, Hildebrandt J, Smith CV, Hansen TN, Richardson CP
      Noninvasive respiratory support of juvenile rabbits by high-amplitude bubble continuous positive airway pressure.
      20308940 Pediatric research, 2010 June : 624-9
    • Gravett MG, Rubens CE, Nunes TM
      Global report on preterm birth and stillbirth (2 of 7): discovery science.
      20233383 BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2010 Feb 23 : S2
    • Sather M, Fajon AV, Zaentz R, Rubens CE
      Global report on preterm birth and stillbirth (5 of 7): advocacy barriers and opportunities.
      20233386 BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2010 Feb 23 : S5
    • Rubens CE, Gravett MG, Victora CG, Nunes TM
      Global report on preterm birth and stillbirth (7 of 7): mobilizing resources to accelerate innovative solutions (Global Action Agenda).
      20233388 BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2010 Feb 23 : S7
    • Lawn JE, Gravett MG, Nunes TM, Rubens CE, Stanton C
      Global report on preterm birth and stillbirth (1 of 7): definitions, description of the burden and opportunities to improve data.
      20233382 BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2010 Feb 23 : S1
    • Kelley M, Rubens CE
      Global report on preterm birth and stillbirth (6 of 7): ethical considerations.
      20233387 BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2010 Feb 23 : S6
    • Barros FC, Bhutta ZA, Batra M, Hansen TN, Victora CG, Rubens CE
      Global report on preterm birth and stillbirth (3 of 7): evidence for effectiveness of interventions.
      20233384 BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2010 Feb 23 : S3
    • Victora CG, Rubens CE
      Global report on preterm birth and stillbirth (4 of 7): delivery of interventions.
      20233385 BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2010 Feb 23 : S4
    • Smith WH, Rogers JG, Hansen TN, Smith CV
      Early career development in academic pediatrics of participants in the APS-SPR Medical Student Research Program.
      19092716 Pediatric research, 2009 April : 474-7
    • Jones MD Jr, McGuinness GA
      The future of pediatric residency education: prescription for more flexibility.
      19150669 The Journal of pediatrics, 2009 Feb. : 157-8
    • Jones MD Jr, McGuinness GA, First LR, Leslie LK
      Linking process to outcome: are we training pediatricians to meet evolving health care needs?
      19088238 Pediatrics, 2009 Jan. : S1-7
    • Park MS, Rieger-Fackeldey E, Schanbacher BL, Cook AC, Bauer JA, Rogers LK, Hansen TN, Welty SE, Smith CV
      Altered expressions of fibroblast growth factor receptors and alveolarization in neonatal mice exposed to 85% oxygen.
      17957151 Pediatric research, 2007 Dec. : 652-7
    • Tipple TE, Welty SE, Rogers LK, Hansen TN, Choi YE, Kehrer JP, Smith CV
      Thioredoxin-related mechanisms in hyperoxic lung injury in mice.
      17575077 American journal of respiratory cell and molecular biology, 2007 Oct. : 405-13
    • Knes JM, Hansen TN, Gilligan B, Woo H, Mangino M, Haworth RA, Southard JH
      Loss of endothelium-dependent relaxation in abdominal aorta preserved in a co-storage system.
      15551051 Transplant international : official journal of the European Society for Organ Transplantation, 2005 Jan. : 699-706
    • Shepherd EG, Zhao Q, Welty SE, Hansen TN, Smith CV, Liu Y
      The function of mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-1 in peptidoglycan-stimulated macrophages.
      15485842 The Journal of biological chemistry, 2004 Dec 24 : 54023-31
    • Rogers LK, Tamura T, Rogers BJ, Welty SE, Hansen TN, Smith CV
      Analyses of glutathione reductase hypomorphic mice indicate a genetic knockout.
      15342956 Toxicological sciences : an official journal of the Society of Toxicology, 2004 Dec. : 367-73
    • McClimon PJ, Hansen TN
      Why are children's hospitals so busy?
      12640360 The Journal of pediatrics, 2003 March : 219-20
    • Fernandes CJ, Rong L, Tamura T, Stewart KD, Rogers LK, McMicken HW, Elliston JF, Hansen TN, Smith CV
      Stable transfection of Chinese hamster ovary cells with glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit cDNA confers increased resistance to tert-butyl hydroperoxide toxicity.
      12425961 Toxicology letters, 2002 Dec 15 : 107-20
    • Rogers LK, Gupta S, Welty SE, Hansen TN, Smith CV
      Nuclear and nucleolar glutathione reductase, peroxidase, and transferase activities in livers of male and female Fischer-344 rats.
      12215683 Toxicological sciences : an official journal of the Society of Toxicology, 2002 Sept. : 279-85

  • Presentations

    Presentation Title Event Location Date
    Global Health – The Local Impact 213) CityClub Health Care Series Panel Discussion Seattle Town Hall Sep 1, 2010
    Future of Health: Christine Gleason: Tales from the NICU Interview with author Christine Gleason, MD, Seattle Science Lectures Seattle, WA May 1, 2009
    Keynote Address International Conference Prematurity and Stillbirth Seattle, WA May 1, 2009
    Seattle Children’s Hospital Success and Challenges Seattle Children’s Hospital Guild Association Annual Meeting Seattle, WA Apr 1, 2009
    Seattle Children’s Hospital Successes and Challenges Emerald City Rotary Seattle, WA Apr 1, 2009
    Pediatric Healthcare: Ensuring Our Future Wells Fargo Leadership Dinner Seattle, WA Mar 1, 2009
    The Hansen Ventilator Foundation Board Trustees Event Mercer Island, WA Mar 1, 2009
    The Health Care Crisis and What to Do About It – Improving Health Care Quality and Lowering Cost CEOtoCEO Breakfast Forum Seattle, WA Mar 1, 2009
    The Hansen Ventilator RSDC Brown Bag Seminar with Dr Hansen Seattle, WA Feb 1, 2009
    The Future of Pediatric Healthcare Eastside Business Roundtable Bellevue, WA Feb 1, 2009
    The Global Alliance to Prevent Prematurity and Stillbirth NALC Mid-Winter Training Seattle, WA Feb 1, 2009
    Learning to See CPI Showcase Seattle, WA Feb 1, 2009
    What’s New at Seattle Children’s Hospital? Bellevue Rotary Bellevue, WA Feb 1, 2009
    Partnering for the Future of Pediatric Healthcare CUMG Annual Meeting Seattle, WA Jan 1, 2009