Thomas J. O'Dell

Thomas J. O’Dell is a Professor in the Department of Physiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He holds the Gail Patrick Endowed Administrative Chair in Brain Research and serves as Associate Director of the Brain Research Institute. His research focuses on synaptic physiology and plasticity, particularly long-term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampus.

Dr. O’Dell’s work explores mechanisms underlying synaptic homeostasis, astrocyte signaling, and NMDA receptor signaling complexes. His NIH-funded research includes projects on homeostatic plasticity, astrocyte calcium signaling in the striatum, and NMDA receptor signaling in synaptic development. Key contributions include studies on β-adrenergic receptor modulation of LTP, synaptic plasticity pathways linked to mental illness, and the role of PSD-95 in spatial learning.

His publications span over 200 articles in top journals like Neuron, Science, and Nature Neuroscience, with notable work on synaptic protein dynamics, circadian clock gene expression in hippocampal plasticity, and ERK/MAPK signaling in learning. Collaborations involve leading institutions, including UCLA’s Brain Research Institute and Department of Neurology.

• Grants: Multiple NIH grants (R21, R01 series) spanning 1989–present.
• Labs/Teams: Brain Research Institute, UCLA Physiology Department laboratories.