Current Research and Scholarly Interests
Thomas Robinson designs solutions to improve health and well-being of children, families, and the planet. Dr. Robinson originated the solution-oriented research paradigm and directs the Stanford Solutions Science Lab. He is known for his pioneering obesity prevention and treatment research, including the concept of stealth interventions. His research applies social cognitive models of behavior change to behavioral, social, environmental and policy interventions for children and families in real world settings, making the results relevant for informing clinical and public health practice and policy. His research is largely experimental, conducting rigorous school-, family- and community-based randomized controlled trials. He studies obesity and disordered eating, nutrition, physical activity/inactivity and sedentary behavior, the effects of television and other screen time, adolescent smoking, aggressive behavior, consumerism, and behaviors to promote environmental sustainability. He is published widely in the scientific literature and a frequent appointee to expert and advisory panels for leading national and international scientific and public health agencies and organizations. Dr. Robinson also teaches undergraduate and graduate students at Stanford, and practices Pediatrics at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. He received his B.S. and M.D. from Stanford University and his M.P.H. from the University of California, Berkeley. He trained in Pediatrics at Children's Hospital, Boston and Harvard Medical School.
