Dr. Thomas M. Holland, MD, MS

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Dr. Thomas M. Holland, MD, MS, is a physician-scientist at the Rush Institute for Healthy Aging and Chair of the Research Core at the Center for Excellence in Aging. His work focuses on lifestyle, nutrition, and neuro-epidemiology, with landmark research on flavonols, diet, and Alzheimer’s risk. His studies have been published in Neurology, and his expert commentary has appeared in Parade Magazine, Dr. Radio, national television segments on NBC and ABC, and more than 600 editorial contributions and media features, including CNN and The New York Times. His two Neurology papers on flavonols and dementia risk and on flavonols and cognitive decline have reached billions of readers worldwide. His ongoing work on diet and cognition continues to gain international attention, and in recognition of his broader impact, Doximity named him among the Top 10% Most Mentioned Clinicians in the Press in 2024.

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Dr. Holland completed medical school at Rush in 2016, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship under Martha Clare Morris, Sc.D., one of the creators of the MIND diet. He earned his MS in Clinical Research in 2020 with a thesis on flavonol intake and Alzheimer’s dementia, now widely cited and globally disseminated, and began his PhD in Health Sciences with an emphasis on neurodegeneration in 2023.

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He serves key leadership roles in the U.S. POINTER trial as Medical Advisor, Study Clinician, and member of the Cognition Determination Committee, providing participants with personalized interpretation of labs, genetic risk, and PET imaging. Nationally, he contributes to the Wellness Committee and serves on the Board of Trustees for Mind What Matters, supporting Alzheimer’s prevention, advocacy, and community programs.

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Dr. Holland is also a dedicated educator, teaching and mentoring across multiple programs at Rush, and was named Research Mentor of the Year in 2025. He is a frequent invited lecturer at institutions including Tufts, UC Davis, and Villanova, and provides quarterly lectures on nutrition and the microbiome for the Brain Health Masterclass for Multiple Sclerosis. A regular speaker at national and international conferences, he emphasizes how lifestyle and community-based interventions can profoundly improve brain health and healthy aging.