Dr. John Thomson is dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University. He received his veterinary degree from Iowa State in 1967 and a master's degree from Northwest Missouri State University in 1988.

After graduating from veterinary college, Thomson was a private practitioner in Clearfield, Iowa, for 20 years. He was on the faculty of South Dakota State University from 1987 to 1997, serving as extension veterinarian, professor and head of veterinary science, and director of the South Dakota Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory.

From 1997 to 1999, Thomson was a professor and section leader of the newly established department of veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine. His area of expertise was beef cow/calf production.

Prior to his appointment in 2004 as dean of the veterinary college at Iowa State, Thomson was dean of the veterinary college at Mississippi State University.

A clinical epidemiologist, Thomson has conducted extensive research in several areas related to bovine production and health. He has served as an advisor to the World Health Organization on the assessment of brucellosis in humans and animals. Thomson was named Veterinarian of the Year in South Dakota (1993) and Mississippi (2002). He initiated and facilitated the development of the National Veterinary Services Act that was enacted into law.