michele polacsek

Michele Polacsek, Ph.D., M.H.S.

Professor of Public Health
Bachelor of Science in Nursing program
WCHP Research Faculty - Public Health
Westbrook College of Health Professions
Director
Center for Excellence in Public Health

Location

Linnell Hall 212

I am professor of public health and director of the Center for Excellence in Public Health at the ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ based in Portland, Maine. I am trained as a social and behavioral scientist and over the past 10 years have focused my research efforts in two key areas: the promotion of healthy food choices in the supermarket setting; and protecting students from harmful food marketing in the educational setting. I was principal investigator on two recent randomized controlled trials studying financial incentives to promote fruit and vegetable purchases in this setting demonstrating significant increases in fruit and vegetable purchases among participants in the intervention groups with greatest improvement among low-income Supplemental Assistance Program (SNAP) users. I have been principal investigator on three recently completed studies of school food marketing and one current study of digital food and beverage marketing in the educational-technology space. I am currently leading a Department of Health and Human Services Administration-funded study to promote nutrition and socialization among low-income seniors in Westbrook, Maine. I also currently serve as the principal investigator for Maine’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) for Maine’s implementing agency-²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ. 

 

Credentials

Education

M.H.S.
The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
1989
Ph.D.
The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
1993

Expertise

  • Public health

Research

Current research

  • School-based food and beverage marketing to youth
  • Grocery store healthy food incentives

Selected publications

  1. Wilking C, Moukalled S, Polacsek M. J Sch Health. 2023 Mar 2;. doi: 10.1111/josh.13315. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 36861751.

 

  1. Cohen JFW, Polacsek M, Hecht CE, Hecht K, Read M, Olarte DA, Patel AI, Schwartz MB, Turner L, Zuercher M, Gosliner W, Ritchie LD. Nutrients. 2022 Sep 28;14(19). doi: 10.3390/nu14194031. PubMed PMID: 36235683; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC9571988.

 

  1. Petimar J, Grummon AH, Zhang F, Gortmaker SL, Moran AJ, Polacsek M, Rimm EB, Roberto CA, Rao A, Cleveland LP, Simon D, Franckle RL, Till S, Greene J, Block JP. JAMA Intern Med. 2022 Sep 1;182(9):965-973. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2022.3065. PubMed PMID: 35913728; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC9344388.

 

  1. Franckle RL, Boulos RJ, Thorndike AN, Moran AJ, Khandpur N, Blue D, Greene J, Block JP, Rimm EB, Polacsek M. Health Promot Pract. 2022 Apr 13;:15248399221086880. doi: 10.1177/15248399221086880. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 35414293.

 

  1. Utter H, Polacsek M, Emond JA. J Sch Health. 2022 Jan;92(1):99-108. doi: 10.1111/josh.13107. Epub 2021 Nov 21. PubMed PMID: 34806187; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8702464.

 

  1. Zatz LY, Moran AJ, Franckle RL, Block JP, Hou T, Blue D, Greene JC, Gortmaker S, Bleich SN, Polacsek M, Thorndike AN, Mande JR, Rimm EB. Public Health Nutr. 2021 Oct;24(15):5127-5132. doi: 10.1017/S1368980021002238. Epub 2021 May 25. PubMed PMID: 34030759.

 

  1. Grummon AH, Petimar J, Zhang F, Rao A, Gortmaker SL, Rimm EB, Bleich SN, Moran AJ, Franckle RL, Polacsek M, Simon D, Greene JC, Till S, Block JP. Am J Prev Med. 2021 Sep;61(3):377-385. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2021.03.013. Epub 2021 Jun 5. PubMed PMID: 34103209; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8384707.

 

  1. Baquero B, Anderson Steeves E, Polacsek M, De Marco M, Chapman L, Leone LA, Simon C. Public Health Nutr. 2021 Aug;24(11):3520-3529. doi: 10.1017/S1368980021001488. Epub 2021 Apr 6. PubMed PMID: 33820587.

 

  1. Petimar J, Zhang F, Rimm EB, Simon D, Cleveland LP, Gortmaker SL, Bleich SN, Polacsek M, Roberto CA, Block JP. PLoS Med. 2021 Jul;18(7):e1003714. doi: