Mark J Thomas

Mark J Thomas is a Professor and Neuroscience Leader at the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain, University of Minnesota. His research focuses on the neural mechanisms underlying addiction, decision-making, and neurodegenerative disorders. He leads multiple NIH- and state-funded research projects exploring neural circuits in addiction, neuroinflammation in mild traumatic brain injury, and decision-making impairments in Alzheimer’s disease models.

His primary research interests include addiction neuroscience, neural circuits, sex differences in drug response, neuroinflammation, and behavioral pharmacology. His work integrates molecular, cellular, and systems-level approaches using mouse models to understand how drugs of abuse like cocaine and morphine alter brain function. He also investigates culturally tailored digital interventions for substance use recovery.

Recent publications highlight trends in sex-specific neuroplasticity, reward processing, and translational neuromodulation for substance use disorders. His studies frequently examine the nucleus accumbens and medium spiny neurons, contributing to a deeper understanding of addiction mechanisms.

Scientific contributions and recognition are reflected in sustained external funding, including:

• NIH NIDA: Center for Neural Circuits in Addiction (2025–2025)
• MN Office of Higher Education: Neuroinflammation and Neural Circuitry in mTBI and Addiction (2024–2026)
• NIH NIA: Decision-making alterations in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (2024–2026)
• PATHFINDER SOLUTIONS PBC: Impact of Culturally-Tailored Recovery Apps (2024–2025)
• TWIN CITIES RECOVERY PROJECT: Recovery Capital and RCC Programs (2022–2024)

He mentors a research team actively publishing in high-impact journals, with recent work appearing in Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science, Neuropsychopharmacology, and Communications Biology. His lab collaborates widely across neuroscience, psychiatry, and public health domains. Current research initiatives include deep brain stimulation for addiction, culturally responsive recovery platforms, and the intersection of neurodegeneration and addictive behaviors.