Paul Thompson is a professor of
neurology at the Imaging Genetics Center at the
University of Southern California.
Thompson obtained a
bachelor's degree in Greek and Latin languages and mathematics from
Oxford University. He also earned a
master's degree in mathematics from Oxford and a
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degree in neuroscience from
University of California, Los Angeles.
Thompson specializes in the field of human
brain imaging, with research interest in mathematical and computational algorithm development for human
brain mapping, and has contributed to more than 900 publications.
He currently leads the Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis (ENIGMA) project, a global data collection and sharing effort designed to understand how brain structure changes during the trajectory of
brain atrophy,
mental illness
A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitti ...
and
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegeneration, neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in short-term me ...
and the underlying genetic landscape.
Research
The ENIGMA Consortium, co-founded by Thompson, performs some of the largest-ever studies of the
human brain, analyzing brain scans of more than 50,000 people worldwide. This collaborative group studies 22
brain diseases in 37 countries, focusing on the interaction between brain health and genetics. ENIGMA has published some of the largest-ever neuroimaging studies of
schizophrenia, major depression,
bipolar disorder,
epilepsy,
autism spectrum disorder, and
obsessive–compulsive disorder.
Academic career
Thompson began his academic career as an assistant professor of neurology at the
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), after completing his PhD in neuroscience as a
Fulbright Scholar
The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of ...
at UCLA. During his time at UCLA, Thompson was promoted to professor in 2010.
In 2013, Thompson moved to the University of Southern California (USC), where he was named director of the USC Imaging Genetics Center and associate director of the USC Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute. He is also a professor in the
Keck School of Medicine of USC departments of
ophthalmology, neurology,
psychiatry and the
behavioral sciences
Behavioral sciences explore the cognitive processes within organisms and the behavioral interactions between organisms in the natural world. It involves the systematic analysis and investigation of human and animal behavior through naturalistic o ...
,
radiology and
engineering.
Impact
Thompson has been named one of “the world’s most influential scientific minds” and a highly cited researcher by
Thomson Reuters.
In March 2022, he was ranked as the number 181 most cited researcher worldwide based on his whole career
h-index of 188 (based on
Google Scholar).
References
External links
Paul Thompson at the USC Imaging Genetics Center ENIGMALONI
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Paul
1971 births
Living people
American neuroscientists
Alumni of the University of Oxford
University of California, Los Angeles alumni
People educated at St Peter's School, York
Neuroimaging researchers
British neuroscientists