Todd E. Thiele

Todd E. Thiele is a Professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with dual affiliation to the Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies. He teaches undergraduate courses including Learning and Behavior (Psychology 222) and Drugs and Human Behavior (Psychology 320), alongside graduate seminars such as Biological Basis of Behavior II (Psychology 702) and Neurobiology of Alcoholism Seminar (Psychology 708).

His research investigates the neurobiological progression of alcohol use disorders (AUDs), focusing on brain adaptations during repeated binge drinking episodes. His laboratory examines how transient neural changes become permanent with chronic exposure, particularly within neurocircuits governing natural rewards and emotional responses that alcohol hijacks. This work identifies pharmaceutical interventions targeting these mechanisms, with pre-clinical findings directly translating to human clinical trials like the ongoing bupropion study for AUD treatment.

Dr. Thiele's current NIH-funded projects explore novel medications to prevent early-stage AUD progression and reverse dependence. His lab operates within UNC's Behavioral & Integrative Neuroscience Program, leveraging pre-clinical models to bridge molecular discoveries with clinical applications for alcohol use disorder therapeutics.