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Department of Radiation Medicine & Applied Sciences Radiation Medicine
  1. Department of Radiation Medicine & Applied Sciences
  2. Faculty
  3. Applied Sciences Division
  4. Elena Martinez Ph.D., M.P.H

Elena Martinez Ph.D., M.P.H

Assistant Professor

Bibiana MartinezEducation

B.S. Nutrition and Medical Dietetics | University of Illinois at Chicago
M.P.H. Nutrition and Population Studies | University of Texas-Houston
Ph.D. Epidemiology | School of Public Health | University of Texas-Houston
Post-Doc 1) University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
                   2) Harvard School of Public Health

 

 

 

 

 

About Dr. Martinez

Dr. Elena Martinez is a Professor in the Departments of Family Medicine and Public Health and Radiation Medicine & Applied Sciences and is a member of the RMAS Center for Health Equity Education and Research (CHEER).  She is also an Associate Director (Population Science) at the Moores Cancer Center and holds the Sam W. Walton Endowed Chair for Cancer Research. 

A highly respected leader in cancer disparities research and community-engaged initiatives at UC San Diego, she has led multiple initiatives over the years including the Reducing Cancer Disparities Program and guides interdisciplinary efforts in addressing inequities across the cancer continuum. Her roles involve strategic leadership in population sciences, disparities reduction, and community outreach programs that bridge research, policy, and public health practice.

Dr. Martínez has built a robust research portfolio grounded in epidemiology, molecular epidemiology, and cancer prevention. Early in her career, she gained extensive R01 funding and led major research programs—including SPORE and P01 grants—during her tenure at the University of Arizona before joining UC San Diego. Her current research focuses prominently on breast cancer in Hispanic women, particularly through leadership of the Ella Binational Breast Cancer Study and as co-PI of an NCI-funded U01 grant investigating the epidemiologic and epigenetic features of postpartum breast tumors in Hispanic women. Additionally, she is a key investigator in a Gates Foundation-funded consortium across Latin America working on Helicobacter pylori eradication and gastric cancer prevention.

Nationally, she has furthered her field through leadership roles such as recent Chair of the AACR Minorities in Cancer Research Council, and serving as Senior Editor for the Cancer Disparities section of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention; additionally, she has been appointed to the NCI’s Board of Scientific Advisors.