Lorena Estrada Martinez
About Lorena Estrada Martinez
Lorena Estrada Martinez serves as an Assistant Professor of Environment and Public Health at UMass Boston, where she has worked since 2014. Her research focuses on racial and ethnic health inequities through community-based participatory research and ecological frameworks.
Work at UMass Boston
Lorena Estrada Martinez has served as an Assistant Professor of Environment and Public Health at UMass Boston since 2014. In her role, she focuses on teaching both graduate and undergraduate courses that cover topics such as research methodology, public health theory, youth violence, health disparities, and community health. Her work emphasizes the importance of understanding environmental and public health issues, particularly in relation to racial and ethnic health inequities.
Previous Academic Positions
Before joining UMass Boston, Lorena Estrada Martinez worked at Washington University in St. Louis as an Assistant Professor from 2011 to 2014. Prior to that, she held various positions at the University of Michigan, including Paul B. Cornely Postdoctoral Research Scholar and Research Associate. Her experience at these institutions contributed to her expertise in public health and research methodologies.
Education and Expertise
Lorena Estrada Martinez holds a PhD in Public Health from the University of Michigan, where she studied from 2004 to 2009. She also earned a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Health Behavior and Health Education from the same university, completing her studies from 2002 to 2004. Her undergraduate degree is a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Women's Studies from Universidad de Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, obtained from 1997 to 2002.
Research Focus
Lorena Estrada Martinez's research employs life-course and ecological frameworks along with community-based participatory research principles. Her work aims to understand racial and ethnic health inequities. Notably, she is the Principal Investigator of an EPA-funded project examining the health impacts of US Navy operations in Vieques, Puerto Rico, and serves as Co-Principal Investigator on an NSF-funded study related to the mental health implications of relocation decisions among Puerto Ricans post-Hurricane María.
Research Contributions
Lorena Estrada Martinez has participated in various NIH-funded research teams that investigate environmental determinants of cardiovascular risk, youth violence, and sexual behaviors among Latino adolescents. Her research contributions reflect a commitment to addressing public health challenges and understanding the complexities of health disparities in diverse communities.