Dr. Patrick Martin is a microscope-loving cell biologist at heart who enjoys developing innovative courses, research training approaches, working with young scientists, building high-performing units and developing future leaders.
Currently, Dr. Martin serves as the Vice President for the Division of Government Sponsored Programs and Research at ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ´«Ã½. Prior to his appointment as Vice President, Dr. Martin was the Dean of the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and Professor of Biology at ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ´«Ã½. Previously, he served as an Associate Professor in the Biology Department at North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, NC. He also served as the Interim Director of the Center for Outreach, Alzheimer’s, Aging and Community Health at North Carolina A&T State University. He also completed a 3-year assignment as an Associate Dean in the College of Science and Technology.
Dr. Martin’s research efforts have focused on developing new therapeutics that reduce cell migration, metastasis and chemo-resistant growth. He has served as the principal investigator of an NIH Bridge-to-Doctorate training grant, which supported the development of students from underrepresented populations through a master’s degree into competitive biomedical, bioinformatic and computational sciences PhD programs. He recently served as the principal investigator of a National Science Foundation statewide Alliance for Graduate Education to develop a cadre of diverse future faculty members as well as the principal investigator of a sub-award to the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill’s T-32 Immunology training grant, which focused on developing future PhD scientists of color. Dr. Martin’s research has also been supported by the Department of Defense. Dr. Martin has presented and published in the fields of molecular regulation of brain tumors, breast and pancreatic cancers, development of natural therapies for cancer, increasing the STEM pipeline, as well as best practices in mentoring emerging scientists and new STEM Faculty members.
In addition to his research interests, Dr. Martin is a staunch advocate for diversifying the biomedical workforce. He is currently a Distinguished Mentor for the Baylor College of Medicine, NIH-funded ‘All of Us’ genetics and genomics diversity program and serves as a junior faculty mentor for the American Society for Cell Biology. Dr. Martin has served as a standing reviewer for the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, INCLUDES, TUES and LSAMP programs.
Dr. Martin earned his BS in Biology from Virginia Union University and then continued his education at the University of Virginia. Dr. Martin completed his PhD in Cell Biology in 2003, where he was the first African American to earn a PhD in Cell Biology from the University of Virginia. He remained at UVA and was selected as an UNCF-MERCK and American Psychological postdoctoral fellow in the neuropathology division studying glioblastoma. Dr. Martin began his journey as an academician and researcher at Fisk University in Nashville, TN in 2005.
Outside of work, Dr. Martin works closely with several local non-profits in leadership development of adolescent African American males. He enjoys spending time with his wife and two sons, doing yard work, golfing, grilling and relaxing at the lake.