Michael R. Thomsen

Federal Grant PI High Impact

Professor and Governor Sidney S. McMath Chair in Obesity Prevention, Director Center for the Study of Obesity

UAMS primary University of Arkansas

Also affiliated: Fundación Juan March (2024); The University of Sydney (2021); Arkansas Children's Hospital (2026); National Bureau of Economic Research (2016–2018); United States Census Bureau (2024); United States Department of Agriculture (2014); University of St. Thomas - Minnesota (1997); Aarhus University (2002); University of Arkansas System (2005–2021); Seva Mandir (2024); Arkansas Department of Health (2026); Florida Atlantic University (2011)

Faculty Researcher

Health Policy & Management, College of Public Health

20 h-index 174 pubs 1,630 cited

Research Areas

Biomedical Subjects

Links

ORCID Research Group UAMS TRI Profile

OverviewAI-generated summary

Michael R. Thomsen's research focuses on public health, with a particular emphasis on obesity prevention, food insecurity, and physical activity in children and adolescents. He holds the position of Professor and Governor Sidney S. McMath Chair in Obesity Prevention at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, where he also directs the Center for the Study of Obesity, Health Policy & Management.

His work has been supported by federal grants, including a $340,293 award from the NIH/National Institute of Mental Health to study the impact of school meal delivery on behavioral disorders in children from health disparity populations, and a $337,399 award from the NIH/National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities for the Little Rock Green Schoolyard Initiative, which aims to improve opportunities for physical activity. Thomsen has published extensively, with a total of 171 publications and an h-index of 20, indicating a significant body of scholarly work.

Recent publications explore the intersections of food insecurity with mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of dollar stores in food deserts, and the use of machine learning in assessing the value of BMI screening programs. He also investigates gender gaps in recess physical activity and the evaluation of school-based environmental initiatives. Thomsen collaborates with researchers from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and within his own institution, including Erin K. Howie, Kari A. Weber, Matthew J. Barenie, and Anthony Goudie.

Metrics

h-index: 20
Publications: 174
Citations: 1,630

Selected Publications

Universal Free School Meals and Medicaid Spending: Evidence from Linked Education and Claims Data in Arkansas (2026)

Health Affairs Scholar DOI OpenAlex
A Longitudinal Cohort Study of the Costs of Adolescent Obesity Into Young Adulthood (2026)

Obesity Science & Practice DOI OpenAlex
Do Universal Free School Meals Improve the Dietary Quality of Food‐At‐Home Purchases? (2026)

Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy DOI OpenAlex
Variation in Rates of ADHD Diagnoses Across Public Schools in Arkansas (2026)

Journal of Attention Disorders DOI OpenAlex
Universal free meals and school suspensions (2026)

Economic Inquiry DOI OpenAlex
Co-occurring substance use disorders and the compounding effect of kratom on serious mental illness, US, 2021–2023 (2026)

The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse DOI OpenAlex
Abstract 884: Waist-hip ratio (WHR) defined obesity phenotype and risk of diabetes in cancer survivor women from Sister Study. (2026)

Cancer Research DOI OpenAlex
Proceedings from Nourish Now: A science dialogue on improving adolescent health through nutrition (2026)

Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 1 citation DOI OpenAlex
Income Persistence and the Risk of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes (2026)

Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention DOI OpenAlex
ECIN Replication Package for "Universal Free Meals and School Suspensions" (2026)

Open MIND DOI OpenAlex
Quantifying Cancer Burden Attributable to Obesity: Highlighting the Disparities by Sex, Race, and Ethnicity in a Rural State with High Obesity and Cancer Burden. (2025)

PubMed OpenAlex
Physical activity level among male and female middle to high school students and impact of perceived school climate: a longitudinal analysis (2025)

Frontiers in Public Health 1 citation DOI OpenAlex
Playing Alone: Recess Physical Activity and Social Interactions of Children with and Without Obesity and Severe Obesity (2025)

Childhood Obesity DOI OpenAlex
The relationship between aging out of the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children assistance and weight status in kindergarten (2025)

Preventive Medicine Reports DOI OpenAlex
Examining relationships between U.S. children's physical activity levels during recess, school days, and weekend days (2025)

Preventive Medicine Reports 2 citations DOI OpenAlex

View all publications on OpenAlex →

Federal Grants 2 $677,692 total

NIH Contact PI Jun 2023 - May 2027

The Impact of School Meal Delivery on Behavioral Disorders among Children in Health Disparity Populations

National Institute of Mental Health $340,293 R01

NIH Contact PI Sep 2022 - Apr 2027

The Little Rock Green Schoolyard Initiative: Changing Community Norms and Improving Opportunities for Physical Activity

National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities $337,399 R01

Grants & Funding

As listed on this researcher's institutional profile. Federal awards with verified records are shown above.

SNAP Purchasing Power and Food Insecurity During the Pandemic Robert Wood Johnson Foundation via University of Florida Principal Investigator
HOPE for Cancer: Healthy Outcomes through Produce Prescriptions and Education National Institute of Food and Agriculture Principal Investigator
Impact of Universal School Meals UAMS ACHRI Flow Through Principal Investigator
NSF Convergence Accelerator Track J: Food EducatioN for Nutritional security and Empowerment in Local communities (FENNEL) National Science Foundation via University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Principal Investigator