Dr. Thompson went to Harvard college, Massachusetts for his undergraduate training and University of Kansas school of medicine for his medical degree. He completed his neurosurgical residency at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Fellowship in neurovascular and skull base surgery at the Barrow Neurological Institute, Arizona. Dr. Thompson is also fellowship trained in endovascular neurosurgery from Thomas Jefferson hospital, Philadelphia.
He has been on staff at the University of Michigan since 1998 and currently has a faculty appointment in the departments of neurosurgery and otolaryngology, head and neck surgery. He is the director of neurosurgical intensive care unit, co-director of cerebrovascular center and cerebrovascular conference. He has authored or co-authored more than 30 peer reviewed papers and twelve book chapters. He is a respected teacher and an invited speaker at national and international meetings.

Dr. Thompson is dual-fellowship trained and can treat the cerebrovascular disorders through micro surgical techniques as well as endovascular catheter based therapy. His current research interests include treatment of intracranial aneurysms and vascular malformations, stereotactic radiosurgery and skull base surgery.