LuAnne Thompson

LuAnne Thompson is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Washington, affiliated with the College of Arts & Sciences. She leads the Ocean Climate Variability Lab and previously directed the Program on Climate Change, focusing on interdisciplinary climate research and education. Her work includes implementing the Graduate Certificate in Climate Science and advocating for environmental health impacts on human populations through the Population Health Initiative Executive Committee.

Research interests span physical oceanography, climate dynamics, and environmental change. Recent work examines Arctic ocean heat transport, glacial Atlantic water stratification, ENSO-driven oxygen variability, and North Atlantic air-sea interactions. She actively mentors students and participates in initiatives like MPOWIR to support women in physical oceanography.

During a 2018 sabbatical, she explored climate variability through oceanographic studies. Collaborative research includes presentations at Ocean Sciences 2018 on topics like topographic form drag and hypoxic extremes. Her lab emphasizes bridging climatic theory with applied environmental science.