Mark P. Mattson is an American neuroscientist who is an adjunct professor of neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

[8] He also hosts a podcast called Brain Ponderings, on which he interviews prominent neuroscientists about their life and work.

[9] The 5:2 diet, a form of intermittent fasting, was first documented in a 2011 article co-authored by Michelle Harvie, Mattson, and 14 additional scientists.

[15][16][17] Mattson was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science for research revealing the cellular mechanisms involved in neural plasticity — the ability of neurons to adapt during processes like learning or injury — and development of neurodegenerative disorders.

[3] On June 3, 2019, the international symposium Pathways towards and away from Brain Health was held to honor him on his retirement from the NIH.