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Profiles

Kathryn Thompson, PhD

Assistant Professor, Community Health Sciences - Boston University School of Public Health

(617) 358-1342
kdthomps@bu.edu
Crosstown Center
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Biography

Dr. Thompson identifies dynamic and methodologically rigorous ways to collect, analyze, and communicate research as an interdisciplinary health services researcher. Her work draws on health services research and population health science to examine how macrolevel and microlevel health systems shape disparities in maternal and infant outcomes, particularly for Medicaid populations and Black mothers. She leverages economic frameworks and policy analysis to study how social, demographic, and programmatic contexts influence health care access, health service utilization, and health outcomes, with attention to how race and ethnicity and socioeconomic position combine to shape lived experiences within health systems.

She is committed to connecting policy evaluation with community realities by partnering with community stakeholders, listening to priorities defined by those most affected, and centering questions about whether policies are functioning as intended in practice. A central motivation of her research is to clarify how barriers embedded in institutions, neighborhoods, and care delivery contributes to persistent gaps across groups, and to generate evidence that supports actionable, community-informed strategies for improving maternal and infant health.

Prior to joining BUSPH, she completed her PhD in Health Services Research at the Brown University School of Public Health. Dr. Thompson received her Bachelor of Science and Masters of Health Administration from the University of Central Florida (UCF).

Other Positions

  • Assistant Professor, Health Law, Policy & Management - Boston University School of Public Health

Education

  • Brown University, PhD Field of Study: Health Services Research
  • University of Central Florida, MHA Field of Study: Health Administration
  • University of Central Florida, BS Field of Study: Health Science

Websites

Publications

  • Published on 7/1/2025

    Wilson IB, Gutman R, Lee Y, Dana BA, Hiris J, Zhang T, Thompson K, Gromadzki R, Shireman TI. Impact of a Pharmacy Copayment Increase on Medication Use in the Military Health System. Med Care. 2025 Oct 01; 63(10):731-739. PMID: 40730346.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 4/4/2025

    Lim K, Goutos D, Aswani M, Benitez J, Thompson K, Shafer PR. Racial, ethnic, and rural disparities in access to Medicaid offices. Health Aff Sch. 2025 May; 3(5):qxaf072. PMID: 40330277.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 4/1/2025

    Nguyen KH, Gordon SH, Lim K, Thompson KD, Ncube CN, Cole MB. Medicaid Accountable Care Organization Implementation and Perinatal Claims Documentation of Social Risk Factors. JAMA Netw Open. 2025 Apr 01; 8(4):e255999. PMID: 40257795.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 1/13/2025

    Gantenberg JR, Thompson KD, van Aalst R, Smith DM, Richards M, Nelson CB, La Via WV, Chaves SS, Bengtson AM, Savitz DA, Zullo AR. Inpatient service utilization amongst infants diagnosed with Respiratory Syncytial Virus infection (RSV) in the United States. PLoS One. 2025; 20(1):e0317367. PMID: 39804848.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 6/16/2024

    Samet JH, El-Bassel N, Winhusen TJ, Jackson RD, Oga EA, Chandler RK, Villani J, Freisthler B, Adams J, Aldridge A, Angerame A, Babineau DC, Bagley SM, Baker TJ, Balvanz P, Barbosa C, Barocas J, Battaglia TA, Beard DD, Beers D, Blevins D, Bove N, Bridden C, Brown JL, Bush HM, Bush JL, Caldwell R, Calver K, Calvert D, Campbell ANC, Carpenter J, Caspar R, Chassler D, Chaya J, Cheng DM, Cunningham CO, Dasgupta A, David JL, Davis A, Dean T, Drainoni ML, Eggleston B, Fanucchi LC, Feaster DJ, Fernandez S, Figueroa W, Freedman DA, Freeman PR, Freiermuth CE, Friedlander E, Gelberg KH, Gibson EB, Gilbert L, Glasgow L, Goddard-Eckrich DA, Gomori S, Gruss DE, Gulley J, Gutnick D, Hall ME, Harger Dykes N, Hargrove SL, Harlow K, Harris A, Harris D, Helme DW, Holloway J, Hotchkiss J, Huang T, Huerta TR, Hunt T, Hyder A, Ingram VL, Ingram T, Kauffman E, Kimball JL, Kinnard EN, Knott C, Knudsen HK, Konstan MW, Kosakowski S, Larochelle MR, Leaver HM, LeBaron PA, Lefebvre RC, Levin FR, Lewis N, Lewis N, Lofwall MR, Lounsbury DW, Luster JE, Lyons MS, Mack A, Marks KR, Marquesano S, Mauk R, McAlearney AS, McConnell K, McGladrey ML, McMullan J, Miles J, Munoz Lopez R, Nelson A, Neufeld JL, Newman L, Nguyen TQ, Nunes EV, Oller DA, Oser CB, Oyler DR, Pagnano S, Parran TV, Powell J, Powers K, Ralston W, Ramsey K, Rapkin BD, Reynolds JG, Roberts MF, Robertson W, Rock P, Rodgers E, Rodriguez S, Rudorf M, Ryan S, Salsberry P, Salvage M, Sabounchi N, Saucier M, Savitzky C, Schackman B, Schady E, Seiber EE, Shadwick A, Shoben A, Slater MD, Slavova S, Speer D, Sprunger J, Starbird LE, Staton M, Stein MD, Stevens-Watkins DJ, Stopka TJ, Sullivan A, Surratt HL, Sword Cruz R, Talbert JC, Taylor JL, Thompson KL, Vandergrift N, Vickers-Smith RA, Vietze DJ, Walker DM, Walley AY, Walters ST, Weiss R, Westgate PM, Wu E, Young AM, Zarkin GA, Walsh SL. Community-Based Cluster-Randomized Trial to Reduce Opioid Overdose Deaths. N Engl J Med. 2024 Sep 19; 391(11):989-1001. PMID: 38884347.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 4/5/2024

    Glasgow L, Douglas C, Sprunger JG, Campbell ANC, Chandler R, Dasgupta A, Holloway J, Marks KR, Roberts SM, Martinez LS, Thompson K, Weiss RD, Aldridge A, Asman K, Barbosa C, Blevins D, Chassler D, Cogan L, Fanucchi L, Hall ME, Hunt T, Jadovich E, Levin FR, Lincourt P, Lofwall MR, Loukas V, McAlearney AS, Nunes E, Oga E, Oller D, Rudorf M, Sullivan AM, Talbert J, Taylor A, Teater J, Vandergrift N, Woodlock K, Zarkin GA, Freisthler B, Samet JH, Walsh SL, El-Bassel N. Effect of the Communities that HEAL intervention on receipt of behavioral therapies for opioid use disorder: A cluster randomized wait-list controlled trial. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2024 Jun 01; 259:111286. PMID: 38626553.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 2/3/2024

    Lee K, Pellowski JA, Brayboy LM, Thompson KD, Dunsiger S. The Association of Racism and Discrimination in Disparities of Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy in the United States: An Analysis of PRAMS Data. Matern Child Health J. 2024 May; 28(5):969-978. PMID: 38308757.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 8/25/2023

    Thompson KD, Meyers DJ, Lee Y, Cu-Uvin S, Bengtson AM, Wilson IB. Antiretroviral Therapy Use Was Not Associated with Stillbirth or Preterm Birth in an Analysis of U.S. Medicaid Pregnancies to Persons with HIV. Womens Health Rep (New Rochelle). 2023; 4(1):438-447. PMID: 37638332.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 1/3/2023

    Bilinski A, Thompson K, Emanuel E. COVID-19 and Excess All-Cause Mortality in the US and 20 Comparison Countries, June 2021-March 2022. JAMA. 2023 Jan 03; 329(1):92-94. PMID: 36399335.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 1/4/2022

    Thompson KD, Meyers DJ, Lee Y, Cu-Uvin S, Wilson IB. HIV-Positive and HIV-Negative Women with Medicaid Have Similar Rates of Stillbirth and Preterm Birth. Womens Health Rep (New Rochelle). 2022; 3(1):1-9. PMID: 35136871.

     Read At: PubMed

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