Michelle Thompson

Dr. Michelle Thompson is an interdisciplinary-trained clinical research scientist and licensed mental health counselor whose work is shaped by a deep commitment to health equity and the well-being of vulnerable populations. With over a decade of experience spanning community-engaged research and direct clinical practice, Dr. Thompson investigates how social determinants, psychosocial stressors, and environmental inequities drive disparities in health and mental health.

Dr. Thompson earned her doctorate from Florida International University. Following her PhD, she was awarded the Provost Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn), holding joint appointments in the School of Social Policy and Practice and the Annenberg School for Communication. At Penn, she initiated advanced training in behavioral sleep medicine and was a Research Affiliate in the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program at the Perelman School of Medicine. Most recently, Dr. Thompson completed an NIH T32 postdoctoral fellowship in health psychology at the Center for Translational Sleep and Circadian Sciences in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

Education

• T32 Postdoctoral Scholar, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
• Penn Provost Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Pennsylvania
• PhD, Social Welfare; certificate in Women and Gender Studies, Florida International University
• MS, Psychology, Florida International University
• BA, Psychology, Florida International University

Areas of Research and Publications

Dr. Thompson leads a program of research grounded in two synergistic agendas:

• Uncovering Multi-Level Inequities: Through exploratory, mixed-methods, and participatory approaches, she investigates psychosocial, structural, and environmental factors that give rise to sleep, health, and mental health disparities, especially in minoritized and underserved communities.
• Community-Based Innovation: Dr. Thompson partners with community stakeholders to design and implement precision interventions leveraging technology and community resources that target persistent inequities in sleep and mental health outcomes.

Her work, funded by NIH and national foundations, appears in leading journals and is regularly shared at scientific meetings and in community forums. Dr. Thompson's translational efforts focus on informing public policy and advancing evidence-based, culturally responsive care.

Research Interests

• Determinants of health and mental health across psychosocial and environmental contexts
• Sleep health equity and justice
• Community-engaged, culturally responsive interventions
• Translational and implementation science

Courses