Nicholas Thomas-Lewis

MSc Evidence-Based Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation, 2022

I’m a candidate for the MSc in Evidence-Based Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation in the Department of Social Policy and Intervention. I completed my undergraduate education at the University of Pennsylvania, attaining a Bachelor of Arts in Cognitive Science and Health & Societies with a minor in neuroscience. Forever fascinated by the brain and dedicated to service, I am particularly drawn to socially-oriented work around youth mental health and illness.

While mental health, sociology, and anthropology generally drive my intellectual pursuits, the predominant and recurring theme in my scholarly and personal interests is addiction. My undergrad honors thesis explored the dual ‘neuromedicalization’ of addiction and adolescence across professional, media, and personal descriptions and its impact on perceptions of responsibility, stigma, and agency for youth impacted by substance use. My studies at Oxford are continuing this work, transitioning from knowledge-building to impact-oriented research and intervention.

I am incredibly fortunate to be a 2022 Rhodes Scholar, and I intend to utilize the opportunities at Oxford granted by this award to further contribute to holistically studying and alleviating the tolls of adolescent addiction. I am exploring adolescent biology, autonomy, culture, and the state of the world around them in policy and practice to do investigative and preventive work in addiction founded on empowerment, not fear and punishment.

Alongside my academic passions, I love storytelling (mostly story-listening), singing, watching movies, volunteering in education, and competitive cheer! I’m grateful for the chance to be involved with all of these and more at GTC and Oxford.

Contact: nicholas.thomas-lewis@gtc.ox.ac.uk