Roles
Professor of Public Health Sciences
Vice-Chair for Research, Department of Public Health Sciences
Deputy Director, MD-MPH Program
Associate Vice-Provost for Research Integrity, Regulatory Affairs and Assessment
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Biography
Dr. Alberto J. Caban-Martinez is the Interim Vice Provost for Research and Scholarship at the University of Miami, where he provides strategic leadership and oversight for the University’s research enterprise. In this role, he advances institutional priorities that promote research integrity, innovation, and global impact across UM’s 12 schools and colleges. He directs initiatives that strengthen compliance and research governance, fosters interdisciplinary collaborations, and works with faculty, staff, trainees and leadership to enhance the University’s research infrastructure and culture of scientific excellence.
A tenured Professor of Public Health Sciences at the Miller School of Medicine, Dr. Caban-Martinez is a board-certified physician-scientist and occupational/environmental epidemiologist whose research examines occupational and environmental determinants of chronic disease. He serves as Deputy Director of the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Firefighter Cancer Initiative and as Principal Investigator of the FEMA-funded Fire Investigator Cohort Study, a national longitudinal cohort evaluating cancer and health outcomes among U.S. fire investigators. His work—supported by the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Florida Department of Health—integrates exposure science, epidemiologic modeling, and biomonitoring to reduce health risks in high-hazard occupations.
At the University of Miami, Dr. Caban-Martinez previously served as Associate Vice Provost for Research Regulation, Integrity, Security, and Evaluation; Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Public Health Sciences; and Deputy Director of the MD-MPH Program. In these roles, he has advanced research compliance systems, mentored early-career investigators, and expanded interdisciplinary team-science initiatives that bridge medicine, public health, and engineering.
Nationally and internationally, Dr. Caban-Martinez has been recognized as a Fellow of both the American College of Epidemiology and the Collegium Ramazzini, an international scientific academy examining critical issues in occupational and environmental medicine. He has contributed his expertise to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization; and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. With more than 215 peer-reviewed scientific publications and numerous teaching and mentorship awards, he remains committed to translating scientific discovery into policy and practice that advance health, safety, and equity in the workplace and beyond. -
Education & Training
Education
Post Graduate Training
Licensures and Certifications
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Honors & Awards
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Teaching Interests
Dr. Caban-Martinez is a dedicated educator and innovator in public health pedagogy, committed to cultivating the next generation of physician-leaders, researchers, and public health professionals. At the University of Miami’s Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, he teaches across multiple levels of graduate education within the Department of Public Health Sciences. Each academic year, he leads three cornerstone courses: EPH651: Research Methods and EPH641: Integrated Aspects of Environmental Health in the MD-MPH program, and EPH643: Occupational Health, a graduate elective for MPH students. He also co-teaches EPH663, an interdisciplinary hospital-based course on the Coral Gables campus that brings together students from across the University’s schools of business, engineering, law, medicine, public health, and architecture to explore complex systems and leadership in health care.
Dr. Caban-Martinez also serves as a regular guest lecturer in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program (PTS544: Medical Pathology Seminar II), delivering sessions on Occupational and Environmental Medicine (OEM). Beyond the University, he contributes nationally to public health education as an instructor for the American Public Health Association (APHA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), teaching in the National Public Health Board Review Course that prepares candidates for the Certified in Public Health (CPH) examination.
His excellence in teaching and mentorship has been recognized through numerous honors, including the George Paff Teaching Award for Outstanding Public Health Education (2020), the Senior Educator Award from the Dean of the Miller School of Medicine (2021), the Department of Public Health Sciences Excellence in Teaching Award (2023), and the Faculty of the Year Award (2024). His continued recognition for excellence in mentorship and scholarly teaching in 2025 reflects his sustained impact as an educator who bridges science, policy, and service to advance population health. -
Research Interests
Environmental and Occupational Health, Epidemiology, Cancer Control and Prevention. -
Publications
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Professional Activities
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