Silvia S. MartinsView profile
Professor
Silvia S. Martins, MD, PhD, is Professor of Epidemiology at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, where she directs the Substance Use Epidemiology Unit and co-directs the NIDA T32 Substance Abuse Epidemiology Training Program. She serves as Vice Dean for Faculty and holds affiliations with Columbia's Global Health Initiative, Injury Science Center, and Population Research Center. Her education includes an MD from UFPR-Brazil (1998) and a PhD from the University of São Paulo (2003). Dr. Martins' research examines substance use epidemiology through interdisciplinary lenses, focusing on: Policy impacts of cannabis/opioid regulations on overdose rates and usage patterns Machine learning applications for analyzing drug policy effectiveness Child/adolescent psychiatric epidemiology and global substance use disparities Urban health interventions and community-based substance abuse prevention Her work spans national contexts including the U.S., Brazil, and Uruguay. Her publications demonstrate strong thematic coherence, with recent work emphasizing: Quantitative analysis of cannabis/opioid policy impacts using longitudinal data Innovative methods (e.g., machine learning, geospatial modeling) in epidemiological research Health equity dimensions of substance policies across racial/ethnic groups Maternal health and polysubstance use during public health crises Awards & Honors: Tow Leadership Scholar (2021-2023) Columbia University Irving Medical Center Mentor of the Year (2021) Calderone Health Equity Award (2021) National Hispanic Science Network Mentoring Award (2021) Dean's Award for Excellence in Mentoring (2017) Joseph Ciarrocchi Award for Youth Gambling Research (2011) As principal investigator on multiple NIH grants since 2006, she leads projects examining: Synergistic effects of opioid/cannabis policies in the U.S. Drug overdose trends in Latin America (Brazil, Colombia, Mexico) Unemployment insurance effects on drug outcomes during COVID-19 She mentors early-career researchers through the NIDA T32 program, with >90 mentee-led publications. She directs the Substance Use Epidemiology Unit and co-leads the PHIOS interdisciplinary group. Additional affiliations include Columbia’s Center for Injury Science and Prevention, Institute of Latin American Studies, and Global Mental Health Program.






