Dr. Mustafa al’Absi, Ph.D. is a Professor of Behavioral Medicine and the holder of the Max & Mary La Due Pickworth Chair at University of Minnesota Medical School. Dr. al'Absi also holds faculty positions at Department of Family Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Neurosciences, and the Integrated Biological Science Program. He is the founding director of the Duluth Medical Research Institute (DMRI), the Behavioral Medicine Laboratories, and the Khat Research Program (KRP. Dr. al’Absi completed his undergraduate education at Cairo University and his doctoral training at the University of Oklahoma in biological psychology with specialization in clinical psychology and behavioral medicine. After completing his graduate training in 1997, Dr. al’Absi joined the University of Minnesota Medical School. Dr. al’Absi directs research programs focusing on neurobiology of stress, appetite regulation, and addiction. Dr. al'Absi's research programs have been funded by grants from the National Institute of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Cancer Institute, the National Health, Lung, and Blood Institute, and the American Heart Association. In addition, Dr. al'Absi has chaired various national and international scientific committees and functions, and has received several honorary awards, including the Neal E. Miller Young Investigator Award from the Academy for Behavioral Medicine Research and the Herbert Weiner Early Career Award from the American Psychosomatic Society.

Dr. Mustafa al’Absi's research interests include: Psychobiology of stress, pain, and addiction.