Melanie Martin

Melanie Martin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Washington, specializing in biocultural influences on health, growth, and development across the life course. Her research spans multiple international projects focused on Indigenous community health and well-being, including serving as Co-Director of the Chaco Area Reproductive Ecology (CARE) Program in Formosa, Argentina, and as an Affiliate of the Tsimane Health and Life History Project in Beni, Bolivia. As Co-PI of the Biodemography Lab at the University of Washington Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, she conducts collaborative research on population health in the U.S. and globally.

Dr. Martin's research interests include Behavioral Ecology, Biological Anthropology, Evolution, Global Health, Growth and Development, Maternal and Child Health, Medical Anthropology, Quantitative Methods, and Reproduction. Her work examines biocultural influences on growth, development, and reproduction, with primary research conducted through community health studies with Indigenous Qom communities in Northeastern Argentina and with the Tsimane in Bolivia. She has published extensively on topics including pubertal development, breastfeeding practices, reproductive ecology, and the impacts of social determinants on health outcomes. Her most recent work explores the intersections of pandemic responses, maternal-infant health, and Indigenous health disparities.

Dr. Martin has received numerous awards including the Outstanding Undergraduate Research Mentor Award (2024), the Distinguished Alumni Award from UCSB Anthropology Department (2023), and the Michael A. Little Early Career Award from the Human Biology Association (2023). She was also awarded the Charles E. Gibbs Leadership Prize for her work on racialized disparities in pregnancy outcomes. Her research has been featured in major media outlets including The Atlantic, NPR, and UW News.

As an educator, Dr. Martin teaches courses including Hormones & Behavior, Laboratory Methods in Hormones & Behavior, Applied Human Growth and Development, Evolutionary Biology of Women, and Biocultural Perspectives of Childcare and Development. She has mentored numerous graduate and undergraduate students, many of whom have gone on to successful academic careers. Her commitment to open science and community-engaged research is evident in her extensive collaboration with Indigenous communities and her contributions to understanding health disparities through a biocultural lens.