Christopher K Thompson

Biography

Dr. Thompson's lab studies how environmental contaminants interfere with brain development, using Xenopus laevis as an animal model system. He is particularly interested in how contaminants such as lead (Pb), forever chemicals, maltol, PBDEs, and others, impact thyroid hormone-dependent mechanisms of brain development. Xenopus offers distinct advantages as a model system, one of which is the ability to examine cellular and subcellular aspects of brain development using in vivo imaging. The Thompson lab takes full advantage of these techniques, using a wide range of optogenetics tools to better understand these phenomena. 

Dr. Thompson has a background in comparative neuroscience, neuroendocrinology, neuroplasticity, systems neuroscience, neurotoxicology, behavioral neuroscience, and genetics. He has worked with a wide range of animal models, including white-crowned sparrows, song sparrows, canaries, zebra finches, mice, rats, wood ducks, wood frogs, and honey bees. He has a keen interest in a variety of topics unrelated to neuroscience including paleontology and evolution, science education and policy, water fluoridation, transgender rights and advocacy, and politics. His hobbies include fishing, hiking, camping, kayaking, woodworking, and lapidary.