Hometown: Asheville, North Carolina
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Bachelor of Science in Health and Wellness Promotion – The University of North Carolina at Asheville
Graduate Institution and Major: Master of Science in Public Health in Health Education and Health Communication – Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
Research interests: My research interests center on agrifood system policy and governance, with a particular emphasis on procedural equity in agrifood policy processes. I am interested in understanding how food producers can play a central role in shaping strong local and regional food systems while critically examining the barriers to their civic engagement associated with the growing consolidation of the agrifood system and the economic pressures of farming.
Relevant professional experience:
2022-2024 – Graduate Research Assistant, Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
2022-2024 – Graduate Research Assistant, Johns Hopkins Center for Human Nutrition, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
Publications:
Lightner A, Williamson S, Sundermeir SM, Lewis EC, Matsuzaki M, Poirier L, Thomas A, Reznar MM, Neff R, Barnett DJ, Oladimeji AT, Igusa T, Velez-Burgess V, Attar N, Gagnon B, Moses L, Gittelsohn J. Formative research for an innovative digital application to strengthen healthy food access and resilience in food pantries: The Support Application for Food PAntrieS (SAFPAS) study. The Journal of Hunger and Environmental Nutrition. [In Press].
Xie Y, Lewis EC, Thomas A, Matsuzaki M, Poirier L, Williamson S, Trujillo AJ, Gittelsohn J. In-store features and healthy food availability among corner and convenience stores serving urban and rural Maryland communities. J Community Health. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-025-01461-x
Colón-Ramos U, Lewis EC, Tucker AC, Poirier L, Pathiravasan CH, Estrade M, Igusa T, Wolfson JA, Mui Y, Vélez-Burgess V, Thomas AE, Hua S, Cheskin LJ, Trujillo AJ, Oladimeji AT, Williamson S, Romero R, Sánchez Hernández P, Gittelsohn J. Design of the Focus on Restaurant Engagement to Strengthen Health (FRESH) study: Leveraging systems science to work with independently-owned restaurants to increase access to and promotion of healthful foods. Frontiers in Public Health. 2024. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1427792
Thomas, A. E., Lewis, E. C., Poirier, L., Williamson, S., Xie, Y., Lightner, A., & Gittelsohn, J. (2024). Exploring barriers and facilitators to direct-to-retail sales channels: Farmers’ perspectives on wholesaling produce to small food retailers in Charles County, Maryland. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development. https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2024.141.003
Hua, S., Vong, V., Thomas, A., Mui, Y., & Piorier, L. (2024). Barriers and Enablers for Equitable Healthy Food Access in Baltimore Carryout Restaurants: A Qualitative Study in Healthy Food Priority Areas. Nutrients, 16(17). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16173028
Hua S, Tucker AC, Santos SR, Thomas AE, Mui Y, Velez-Burgess V, Poirier L, Cheskin LJ, Matsuzaki M, Williamson S, Colon-Ramos U, Gittelsohn J. (2024). The Quality of Menu Offerings in Independently Owned Restaurants in Baltimore, Maryland: Results from Mixed-Methods Formative Research for the FRESH Trial. Nutrients, 16(10), 1524. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16101524
Thomas, A. E. (2022). Developing an Evidence-Based Nutrition Curriculum for Correctional Settings. Journal of Correctional Health Care, 28(2).
Batada, A., & Thomas, A. E. (2021). Soft drinks and premiums with children’s meals marketed on the websites of the top restaurant chains worldwide. Public Health Nutrition, 24(11), 3437–3441. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1368980021001646
Batada, A., Thomas, A. E., & Holtz, D. N. (2021). Utilizing a Data-to-Action Approach to Cultivate Policy Research and Advocacy Skills in Community-Engaged Health Promotion Courses. Pedagogy in Health Promotion, 00(0), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1177/23733799211035812
Mahoney, Melissa H., Leah G. Mathews, and Audrey E. Thomas. "Springsteen-omics: contemplative pedagogy and Springsteen in undergraduate economics courses." The Journal of Economic Education (2021): 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220485.2021.2004274
Published Reports
Tilchin, C. G., Thomas, A. E., & Latkin, C. A. (2023). Mixed-Methods Evaluation of PIVOT, A Community-Based Re-Entry Program for Women in Baltimore City. Johns Hopkins Urban Health Institute. https://urbanhealth.jhu.edu/sites/default/files/2023-09/mixed-methods-evaluation-of-pivot-a-community-based-re-entry-program-for-women-in-baltimore-city.pdf
Honors and Awards:
Early Offer Eminent Scholar Fellowship, The Ohio State University, 2024-2027