Research Interests include basic cellular and in vivo neural mechanisms of learning and memory, effects of drugs on learning and memory, computational models of neural function, effects of physiological disturbances (e.g. sleep and sleep deprivation) on cognition.

Teaching Interests include basic electrophysiology: excitable membranes, ion channels, action potentials, synaptic transmission, neural mechanisms underlying epilepsy, neural networks, neuronal modeling, and information content of neuronal assemblies.

Collaborations and Professional Interactions include a long-term collaboration with Dr. Sam Deadwyler.  Other collaborators include Dr. Linda Porrino (also of the Department of Physiology & Pharmacology), Dr. Theodore Berger and Dr. Spiros Courelis of the University of Southern California (DARPA project), and Dr. Greg Gerhardt of the University of Kentucky (DARPA project).  The University of Aberdeen project is administered through collaboration with Dr. Gernot Riedel. 

Dr. Hampson has served as a host for Honors Biochemistry and Advanced Biology students from the University of Bath, UK, and holds an adjunct appointment in the School of Medical Sciences of the University of Aberdeen, UK.  He has served on the IFCN-7 (regular member) and F02 (ad-hoc member) study sections of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and reviews on an ad-hoc basis for other NIH committees as well as neuroscience journals.  

Community service includes lectures to schools and other groups on effects of drug abuse on the brain.  Dr. Hampson is also active with the Boy Scouts of America.