Chantel Martin

Dr. Chantel Martin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of North Carolina's Gillings School of Global Public Health. Her research focuses on social and biological mechanisms of health disparities, particularly how early-life stressors like neighborhood deprivation, crime, and air pollution impact health equity across the life course. She holds a PhD from UNC-Chapel Hill and an MSPH from UNC Charlotte, with postdoctoral training in cancer health disparities. Dr. Martin leads studies on epigenetic mechanisms linking socio-environmental stressors to chronic disease, supported by grants from NIMHD and NIA. She co-leads the Cardiopulmonary Disease Translation Research at the Center for Environmental Health & Susceptibility and is a Carolina Population Center fellow.

Education:

• BS in Finance (Economics minor), University of Delaware, 2005
• MSPH in Epidemiology, UNC Charlotte, 2009
• PhD in Epidemiology, UNC Chapel Hill, 2015

Research Interests: Dr. Martin’s work integrates social epidemiology, life course theory, and biological markers (e.g., epigenetics) to understand how early-life stressors become biologically embedded, increasing chronic disease risks in marginalized populations. Key areas include maternal and child health, structural racism, and environmental health disparities. She has pioneered studies using the Add Health and Detroit Neighborhood Health Study cohorts.

Recent Research Trends: Her articles emphasize epigenetic correlates of social stressors (e.g., crime, pollution), disparities in maternal and child health outcomes, and methodological advances in measuring structural racism’s health impacts. Recent work highlights interventions to mitigate inequities in Alzheimer’s risk, postpartum depression, and cardiometabolic health.

Awards & Recognition:

• 2022 Gillings Health Equity Faculty Award
• 2024 ASPPH Early Career Research Excellence Award
• NIMHD K99/R00 Pathways to Independence Award

Advising & Grants: Dr. Martin mentors doctoral, master’s, and undergraduate students, emphasizing socially responsible research. She leads NIH-funded studies on racial inequities in Alzheimer’s disease and environmental exposures during pregnancy. She co-developed a required epidemiology course on socially responsible research practices and received the 2023 Gillings Teaching Innovation Award.

Labs & Teams: Collaborates with the Carolina Population Center and Center for Environmental Health & Susceptibility. Active in interdisciplinary initiatives addressing environmental justice and health disparities.