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

Last publication 2026 Last refreshed 2026-05-22

faculty

Health Policy & Management, College of Public Health

mthomsen@uams.edu

20 h-index 163 pubs 1,585 cited

Research Areas

Links

ORCID Research Group UAMS TRI Profile

OverviewAI-generated summary

Michael R. Thomsen is a Professor and the 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 research focuses on public health issues related to obesity, food insecurity, and physical activity, particularly in vulnerable populations. Thomsen has received federal funding from the National Institutes of Health for two projects. One $340,293 grant from the National Institute of Mental Health investigates the impact of school meal delivery on behavioral disorders among children in health disparity populations. A second $337,399 grant from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities supports the Little Rock Green Schoolyard Initiative, aiming to change community norms and improve opportunities for physical activity.

His recent publications explore the connections between food insecurity and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of dollar stores in food deserts, and the relationship between income variability and cardiovascular disease in individuals with diabetes. He has also examined the use of machine learning in evaluating BMI screening programs and investigated gender gaps in children's physical activity during recess. Thomsen's work includes collaborations with researchers at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, including Kari A. Weber, Matthew J. Barenie, Anthony Goudie, and Clare C. Brown. He has an h-index of 20 and has authored 161 publications with 1,564 citations.

Metrics

h-index: 20
Publications: 163
Citations: 1,585

Selected Publications

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

DOI OpenAlex
Income Persistence and the Risk of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes (2026)

DOI OpenAlex
ECIN Replication Package for "Universal Free Meals and School Suspensions" (2026)

DOI OpenAlex
ECIN Replication Package for "Universal Free Meals and School Suspensions" (2026)

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)

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

DOI OpenAlex
Playing Alone: Recess Physical Activity and Social Interactions of Children with and Without Obesity and Severe Obesity (2025)

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)

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

DOI OpenAlex
The Relationship between Aging Out of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children Assistance (WIC) and Weight Status in Kindergarten (2025)

DOI OpenAlex
Mosaic of Movements: Relationships between Children's Physical Activity Levels During Recess, School Days, and Weekend Days (2025)

DOI OpenAlex
Fairness in Low Birthweight Predictive Models: Implications of Excluding Race/Ethnicity (2025)

DOI OpenAlex
Risk of adverse infant outcomes associated with maternal mental health and substance use disorders (2024)

2 citations DOI OpenAlex
Assessing the Impact of Air Quality and Heat on Recess Physical Activity in School Children (2024)

DOI OpenAlex
Impact of the 2022 Infant Formula Shortage on Self-Reported Rates of Anxiety and Depression (2024)

3 citations DOI OpenAlex

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Federal Grants 2 $677,692 total

NIH/National Institute of Mental Health 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/National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities 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

SNAP Purchasing Power and Food Insecurity During the Pandemic Robert Wood Johnson Foundation - Pass Through: University of Florida Principal Investigator
The Impact of School Meal Delivery on Behavioral Disorders among Children in Health Disparity Populations NIH/Nat. Inst. of Mental Health Principal Investigator
HOPE for Cancer: Healthy Outcomes through Produce Prescriptions and Education National Institute of Food and Agriculture Principal Investigator
The Impact of School Meal Delivery on Behavioral Disorders among Children in Health Disparity Populations NIH/Nat. Inst. of Mental Health Principal Investigator
Impact of Universal School Meals UAMS ACHRI Flow Through Principal Investigator
HOPE for Cancer: Healthy Outcomes through Produce Prescriptions and Education National Institute of Food and Agriculture Principal Investigator
The Little Rock Green Schoolyard Initiative: Changing Community Norms and Improving Opportunities for Physical Activity NIH/National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities Principal Investigator
The Impact of School Meal Delivery on Behavioral Disorders among Children in Health Disparity Populations NIH/Nat. Inst. of Mental Health Principal Investigator