Theresa Currier Thomas is an Associate Professor with the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Barrow Neurological Institute at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, and the Phoenix VA. She was born in Kentucky and received her BS in Agricultural Biotechnology in 1999 from the University of Kentucky. She earned her Ph.D. in Anatomy and Neurobiology in 2008 and continued as a postdoctoral fellow in the Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center at the University of Kentucky until 2012.

She uses midline fluid percussion injury as a model of diffuse axonal injury (DAI) to study late-onset or persisting sensory, affective, and cognitive deficits, particularly interested in sex differences. Specifically, she is interested in the impact of rehabilitation, synaptogenesis, and neuroinflammation as mechanisms of circuit reorganization responsible for adaptive or maladaptive recovery. Her research has indicated critical roles for neuroendocrine dysregulation, cerebrovascular compromise, and systemic feedback in the pathophysiology of persisting post-TBI symptoms. Technically, the research focuses on these impacts on behaviorally relevant circuit function and neurotransmission, the primary target for pharmacological interventions. Dr. Currier Thomas is a great supporter of life-long learning and mentoring.