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
-
Biography
Alberto J. Caban-Martinez, D.O., Ph.D., is interim vice provost for research and scholarship at the University of Miami. He provides strategic leadership and oversight for the University’s research enterprise, advancing institutional priorities that promote research integrity, innovation, and global impact across its 12 schools and colleges. He directs initiatives that strengthen compliance and research governance, fosters interdisciplinary collaboration, and works with faculty, staff, trainees, and leadership to enhance research infrastructure and a culture of scientific excellence.
Caban-Martinez is a tenured professor of public health sciences at the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine. A board-certified physician-scientist and occupational and environmental epidemiologist, his research examines occupational and environmental determinants of chronic disease. He serves as deputy director of the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center 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 research, supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the 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, he 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 M.D./M.P.H. program. In these roles, he advanced research compliance systems, mentored early-career investigators, and expanded interdisciplinary team science initiatives that bridge medicine, public health, and engineering.
Caban-Martinez is a fellow of the American College of Epidemiology and the Collegium Ramazzini. He has contributed to the work of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization; and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. He has authored more than 215 peer-reviewed publications and has received multiple teaching and mentorship awards. His work focuses on translating scientific discovery into policy and practice to advance health, safety, and equity in the workplace and beyond. -
Education & Training
Education
Post Graduate Training
Licensures and Certifications
-
Honors & Awards
No result found
-
Teaching Interests
Caban-Martinez is an educator focused on advancing public health pedagogy and preparing the next generation of physicians, researchers, and public health professionals. At the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, he teaches across multiple levels of graduate education in the Department of Public Health Sciences. Each academic year, he leads three core courses: EPH 651: Research Methods; EPH 641: Integrated Aspects of Environmental Health in the M.D./M.P.H. program; and EPH 643: Occupational Health, a graduate elective for M.P.H. students. He also co-teaches EPH 663, an interdisciplinary, hospital-based course on the Coral Gables campus that brings together students from the University’s schools of business, engineering, law, medicine, public health, and architecture to examine complex systems and leadership in health care.
He also serves as a guest lecturer in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program (PTS 544: Medical Pathology Seminar II), presenting on occupational and environmental medicine. Beyond the University of Miami, he contributes to public health education as an instructor for the American Public Health Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, teaching in the National Public Health Board Review Course, which prepares candidates for the Certified in Public Health examination.
His teaching and mentorship have been recognized with several honors, including the George Paff Teaching Award for Outstanding Public Health Education (2020), the Senior Educator Award from the Miller School of Medicine dean (2021), the Department of Public Health Sciences Excellence in Teaching Award (2023), and the Faculty of the Year Award (2024). His continued recognition for mentorship and scholarly teaching in 2025 reflects his sustained impact in education and training across public health and medicine. -
Research Interests
Environmental and Occupational Health, Epidemiology, Cancer Control and Prevention. -
Publications
Disclaimer: The information presented in this section has been consolidated using AI and machine learning technologies. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, errors may occur. If you identify any inaccuracies, please use this link to inform our data team. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and helps us improve the quality of our content.
-
Professional Activities
No result found