Linda Sprague Martinez, Ph.D.

Faculty Affiliate, Professor in the Department of Medicine, and Director of the Health Disparities Institute at UConn Health

Linda Sprague Martinez, Ph.D. (she, her, hers), is Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Connecticut’s School of Medicine, Director of the Health Disparities Institute at UConn Health, and Faculty Affiliate at UConn School of Social Work. Dr. Sprague Martinez has expertise in health equity and the social determinants of health; community based participatory research (CBPR) and youth led participatory action research (YPAR); photovoice; community assessment and mobilization; and qualitative research methods and analyses. Having formerly worked in municipal and state governance, and as an adolescent mental health provider, Dr. Sprague Martinez brings practical expertise in cross sector collaborations and resident engagement. She was a 2017 Boston Housing Authority, Center for Community Engagement and Civil Rights, Resident Empowerment Coalition, Resident Empowerment Honoree. In 2023, Dr. Sprague Martinez received the NIH HEAL Director’s Award for Community Partnerships, for her work with the HEALing Communities Study. Her research has been funded by NIH, OBSSR and PCORI, as well as by local foundations.