Leo Martinez first learned what health equity looked like in a public health crisis studying tuberculosis in Peru. A Master of Public Health student at Tulane University, Martinez was making regular excursions into the shantytowns of Lima, Peru to measure tuberculin sensitivity for his internship project. His daily commute from his hostel in one of the city’s wealthier districts into its poorest neighborhoods left a deep impression. “TB is a disease that is extremely prevalent in the poorest areas in the world, and is often out of sight
and mind for people in the U.S. and developed countries,” said Martinez. Motivated by a desire to do more, Martinez sought out Dr. Christopher Whalen, a leading international expert on HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis transmission and director of the College’s Global Health Institute. “Dr. Whalen introduced me to epidemiology and all the complicated issues that are involved in the field and in TB research,” he said. Looking back to his time at CPH, Martinez points to Whalen’s unwavering emphasis on the importance of
OCCUPATION: •
Assistant Professor, Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health.
DEGREES EARNED: • •
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ALUMNI PROFILE: LEO MARTINEZ COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH 2022 MAGAZINE
Ph.D., Epidemiology (University of Georgia, 2017) MPH, Global Community Health and Behavioral Sciences (Tulane University, 2011)
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