Thomas Michael Jessell (2 August 1951 – 28 April 2019) was the Claire Tow Professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics at Columbia University in New York and a prominent developmental neuroscientist.

In 1985 he joined the Columbia University faculty where he worked for the remainder of his career and became Claire Tow Professor of Motor Neuron Disorders (in neuroscience).

[5] Jessell is known for his work on chemical signals that play a role when nerve cells assemble during development to form neuronal circuits.

[11] Jessell is the co-editor, with Eric R. Kandel and James Schwartz, of the well-known textbook Principles of Neural Science.

[13] The newspaper subsequently reported that Jessell "was removed from his administrative post, following an investigation that found him responsible for sexual misconduct".