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Contact Details

Email
george.thomson@otago.ac.nz
Position
Honorary Research Associate Professor
Department
Department of Public Health (Wellington)
Qualifications
BA (History and Politics), Masters (Public Policy), PhD
Research summary
Tobacco control, health policy and health politics.

Research

George's research interests are in tobacco control, health policy and health politics. His work includes researching government and business behaviour as determinants of population health, with recent research covering:

  • The effects and ethics of tobacco taxation.
  • Smoking and smokefree areas outdoors and in vehicles .
  • Tobacco endgames.

His research has been funded by the Health Research Council, the Cancer Society, the Heart Foundation, and ASH NZ, and he has been a co-investigator on two Marsden Foundation funded projects.

Publications

Wilson, N., Thomson, G., & Jarman, J. (2026). Simple intervention doubles Taranaki drinking fountains: A public health success story. The Briefing, (5 August). Retrieved from https://www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/simple-intervention-doubles-taranaki-drinking-fountains-public-health-success-story Journal - Research Other

Wilson, N., Thomson, G., & Boyd, M. (2025). The frequently impaired health of leaders of nuclear weapon states: An analysis of 51 deceased leaders. BMC Research Notes, 18, 278. doi: 10.1186/s13104-025-07351-8 Journal - Research Article

Horrocks, J., Thomson, G., & Wilson, N. (2025). Case studies of health-impaired prime ministers in Aotearoa New Zealand. New Zealand Medical Journal/Te ara tika o te hauora hapori, 138(1612), 92-99. doi: 10.26635/6965.6845 Journal - Research Other

Wilson, N., & Thomson, G. (2025). Outdoor gym equipment in parks in Aotearoa New Zealand: Preliminary surveys of availability and usage. New Zealand Medical Journal/Te ara tika o te hauora hapori, 138(1609), 78-85. Retrieved from https://www.nzmj.org.nz/ Journal - Research Article

Wilson, N., Horrocks, J., & Thomson, G. (2025). Why do people attack military statues? A national survey in New Zealand. Armed Forces & Society, 51(4), 1149-1164. doi: 10.1177/0095327X241247811 Journal - Research Article

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