Alex Thomas, MD

Bio

Dr. Alexander Thomas is a board-certified psychiatrist and addiction psychiatrist and serves as the Program Director for the Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship. 

A dedicated clinician, educator, and innovator, Dr. Thomas brings a comprehensive and forward-thinking approach to training the next generation of addiction psychiatrists.

With a clinical focus on integrated treatment of co-occurring substance use and psychiatric disorders, Dr. Thomas practices across several IU Health sites, including the Eskenazi Adult Addictions Program, IU Health Neuroscience Center, Eagle Highlands, and the Digestive and Liver Disorders Clinic. At these locations, he supervises fellows, residents, and students while advancing multidisciplinary models of care. He also serves as co-investigator on a multi-site Phase 1 clinical trial exploring novel treatments for opioid withdrawal and transition to long-acting naltrexone.
Dr. Thomas has been deeply engaged in medical education throughout his training and faculty appointment. He has designed and delivered didactic content for medical students, psychiatry residents, and addiction psychiatry fellows, and serves as Course Director for the department’s core addiction psychiatry curriculum. His educational leadership includes the development of new training rotations, curricular innovation, and mentorship of early-career trainees.

As a researcher, Dr. Thomas has delivered invited lectures and grand rounds at institutional, state, and national levels. His areas of interest include pharmacologic management of substance use disorders, ketamine-assisted treatment, and health system innovations in addiction care.

In his new role as Program Director, Dr. Thomas brings a strong commitment to growing the next generation of addiction psychiatry leaders. He is leading programmatic expansion, including new clinical training sites, evidence-based curricula, and quality improvement initiatives aimed at improving access and outcomes for individuals with substance use disorders. His forward-looking leadership is helping shape addiction psychiatry training at IU into one of national distinction.

Interests: Substance use disorders, psychosis, and mood disorders.