Dr. Thompson received his undergraduate degree in applied and engineering physics from Cornell University in 1999, and a Ph.D. in vision science from the University of California Berkeley in 2004. Following postdoctoral work at UC Berkeley with Dr. Ralph D. Freeman, Dr. Thompson joined the Center for Biomedical Imaging in 2005 under the direction of Dr. Dae-Shik Kim.

Dr. Thompson's research interests include: brain development, plasticity, and non-invasive brain imaging techniques. As a graduate student, Dr. Thompson investigated the neurological basis of the blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal, a key contrast mechanism for various non-invasive neuroimaging techniques. During this work he received training in all aspects of in-vivo electrophysiological recording and developed a novel microelectrode sensor for simultaneous, co-localized measurements of neural activity and tissue oxygen. Dr. Thompson's current work at the Center for Biomedical Imaging focuses on development and plasticity of the visual system. He uses functional, structural and diffusion tensor MRI techniques to study the neural mechanisms by which visual experience guides brain development.

Dr. Thompson has experience teaching optometry and medical students in the fields of optometric optics and neuroanatomy, respectively.