Dr. Martinez shares the experience of being the first-generation in her family to attend college. She received a Master’s in Nutrition Education from Columbia University and PhD in Public Health (Health Behavior) from the Joint Doctoral Program at UC San Diego and San Diego State University. Her research has focused on childhood obesity and related health behaviors, such as diet, physical activity, and sleep duration among Mexican American children. Her current research centers on the negative consequences of food insecurity across the lifespan, and addressing food insecurity in the UC student population, with the goal to conduct research to inform policy. She is an expert in primary data collection, longitudinal study design and analysis, qualitative research, scale development, and structural equation modeling. 

Dr. Martinez has served as the lead researcher of the UC systemwide Student Basic Needs Initiative, studying the role of basic needs on student well-being and academic outcomes, as well as enhancing college student access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. She is a Multiple Principal Investigator of two NIH-funded studies examining the role of: 1) nutrition on cardiovascular and metabolic health in college students; and 2) SNAP eligibility as a risk factor for dementia risk. She plays a lead role as the Co-Director of Research and Evaluation on Essential Needs at the newly established Center for Economic Justice and Action at UC Santa Cruz.