Michele Polacsek

Michele Polacsek is Professor of Public Health and Director of the Center for Excellence in Public Health at the University of New England. Her research focuses on two primary areas: promoting healthy food choices in supermarket settings through financial incentives (particularly for SNAP users) and protecting students from harmful food marketing in educational environments. She currently leads a DHHS-funded study on nutrition and socialization for low-income seniors in Maine and serves as PI for Maine's SNAP-Ed program. Her methodological expertise includes randomized controlled trials and policy analysis.

Research Interests: Behavioral interventions in food environments, policy impacts on dietary choices, digital food marketing in education, and community-based health promotion strategies for vulnerable populations.