Marita Thompson, M.D., MBA

Marita Thompson, M.D., MBA is professor of the Department of Pediatrics at Dell Medical School and the division director of the pediatric intensive care unit at Dell Children’s Medical Center. In this role she provides leadership and direction to the division’s faculty, the critical care medicine fellowship program, and the expansion of the division to the new Dell Children’s Hospital North.

Thompson earned her Bachelor of Science at UCLA followed by her medical degree at the University of Illinois School of Medicine. She then completed her residency/internship in pediatrics at Harbor UCLA Medical Center followed by a fellowship in pediatric critical care at UT Southwestern, where she was chief fellow. She completed her MBA at UT Dallas.

In terms of clinical expertise, Thompson’s focus is on extracorporeal therapies, especially ECMO and renal replacement therapies. Her research is in the areas of managing acute respiratory failure in patients on ECMO and the impact of delirium in critically ill patients on ECMO. As an educator, Thompson has received numerous accolades, including the Golden Apple Teaching Award and the Daniel Scagliotti, M.D., Teaching Award in 2020 (recognition as Pediatric Educator of the Year). Additionally, Thompson enjoys mentoring trainees of every discipline and level.

In her spare time, Thompson enjoys spending time with her four children and her husband. As a family, they enjoy outdoor sports, cooking and being together.