Ms. Martinez coordinates various Minority Student Summer Research Training Programs at NIDDK. She serves as liaison to Program Directors and Program Managers of various non-profit, private or public Institutions participating in NIDDK summer training programs. Minority Training Programs include: Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC) U*STAR Program; Gateways to the Laboratory/NIDDK Honors Research Training Program; NIDDK/OMHRC Intramural Summer Internship Program; and the University of Alaska Anchorage(UAA)/NIDDK Summer Internship Program for American Indian/Alaska Native.
Ms. Martinez works closely with the Association of American Indian Physicians (AAIP) and the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA) and presents at their annual meetings on the NIDDK Summer Research Training Opportunities. In addition she attends and participates in several National Minority meetings and conferences such as the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS), International Society of Hypertension in Blacks (ISHIB), National Medical Association (NMA), and Career Opportunities in Biomedical Research (COBR) in an effort to recruit and increase the number of underrepresented and underserved students entering into biomedical research.
Ms. Martinez is the liaison for OMHRC/NIDDK in legislative matters relating to NIDDK’s Minority Health and Health Disparities. She develops annual congressional reports for submission to the National Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities as requested by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Ms. Martinez is responsible for coordination of the Network of Minority Research Investigators (NMRI), a communication network of biomedical research investigators and technical personnel from traditionally under-served communities. She is also responsible for the coordination of the NMRI Regional Meeting. She works closely with senior level research investigators in developing the program agenda.
