Originally from Southwest Virginia, he earned undergraduate degrees in Biology, Chemistry, and Psychology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1997. He later earned an MD, MS (health statistics), and PhD (molecular biology) from the University of Virginia and a post-doctoral fellowship in regenerative medicine.

Dr. Tholpady is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and has taken care of Veterans with melanoma, soft tissue sarcoma and surgically amenable chronic pain for the past 10 years. Administratively, he has served as the Chief of Quality, Safety, and Value (QSV) since October of 2017.