Epidemiologist Hannah Thompson, “Recess For All” expert, studies physical activity for youth
As the White House explored how to reinstate the Presidential Youth Fitness Test, the administration sought leading experts from across the country to offer insights during listening sessions.
One member of the advisory panel was Hannah Thompson, University of California Cooperative Extension specialist with UC Agriculture and Natural Resources and an assistant research professor at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health.
With nearly two decades of experience studying youth physical activity and nutrition, Thompson said that fitness testing has value. But it should not exist in a vacuum, she stressed – and must be supported with a coinciding recommitment to physical education (PE), recess and an overarching culture of exercise and movement.
“We’ve engineered PE out of our schools, so to go in and test students without preparing them for the test and giving them a joy and a love for physical activity – that to me feels really problematic,” Thompson said.
Understanding the broader social, environmental and cultural context of human health has been a hallmark of research by the Nutrition Policy Institute, which in 2024 marked its 10th anniversary under UC ANR.
Thompson began as NPI’s second director on Sept. 1. She noted that a defining legacy of NPI has been its influential research on major policies and programs – such as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children) – aimed at making people of all ages healthier and more food secure.
“That really is NPI’s bread and butter,” Thompson said. “For years, NPI has built this unbelievably successful track record of producing evidence that directly informs some of the largest programs we have in the U.S., and that has had tremendous national public health impact.”
On topics ranging from universal school meals to healthy beverage laws to safe drinking water, NPI researchers are continuously cited and sought-after by policymakers, program managers and other clientele.
“We produce the strongest science that we can and then let the evidence speak for itself,” said Thompson, who earned her Master of Public Health from UC Berkeley and a Ph.D. in epidemiology and translational science from UC San Francisco.
Thompson to continue NPI legacy of community-driven public health programs
Succeeding NPI’s founding director, Lorrene Ritchie, Thompson added she hopes to build on the institute’s innovations in research and program evaluation. In particular, she highlighted NPI’s emphasis on partnering with communities on public health initiatives that are tailored to their specific needs and circumstances.
“I feel strongly about continuing the legacy of community-based, participatory action research – doing work that is designed not just to end up in some academic journal, but that’s really going to inform policy and practice on the ground,” she said.
In her own career, Thompson has sought to design and evaluate scalable, cost-effective interventions to increase healthy food and beverage consumption and boost physical activity and fitness for all. For example, her state Senate Education Committee testimony and work with Sen. Josh Newman guided California SB 291, the “Recess For All” bill mandating daily recess minutes for public-school elementary students.
“Hannah is highly regarded for her work in designing and evaluating interventions that improve the health of young people,” said Brent Hales, UC ANR associate vice president for research and Extension. “In addition to her impressive academic output, Hannah has actively helped shape policy that makes a positive impact in our communities.”
Thompson, who has served as NPI senior epidemiologist since 2020, has collaborated extensively with her colleagues in studying a wide range of “federal food safety-net programs.”
Among them is SNAP-Ed, the educational component of SNAP – the federal funding for which was eliminated with the signing of the reconciliation bill in July. The California Department of Public Health contracts with NPI researchers to evaluate SNAP-Ed in California (called CalFresh Healthy Living); their findings could then lead to program improvements and better outcomes for participants.
Now, amid a challenging climate for public health research and funding, Thompson faces the daunting task of determining the impact of those SNAP-Ed cuts on NPI academics and staff and then recalibrating the institute’s strategic plan.
“We’re taking the opportunity to think about how NPI is structured, how we operate, and the sustainability of the institute,” said Thompson. “I’m not coming in like, ‘Here are the answers, here’s what we need to do.’ My first real goal is to do a listening tour and figure out how things are going, what’s working, what’s not working.”
Throughout that process, Thompson said she will lean on the skill and experience of NPI and UC ANR teams as they chart a path for the institute’s vision and mission.
“We have amassed such a talented group of researchers who are truly mission-driven; people are here because they genuinely care,” Thompson said. “And I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t believe in NPI and the work that we’re doing. I’m just really excited for this opportunity.”