University of Oregon College of Education

Charles Martinez is a Clinical Psychologist and Research Scientist at the Oregon Social Learning Center (OSLC). He is the principal investigator on the NIDA-funded Latino Youth and Family Empowerment (LYFE) Project (R21 DA 14617). The main goals of the LYFE Project are to develop, implement, and test the efficacy of a culturally specified family intervention for Latino youngsters at risk for substance use and related problem behaviors.

Since 1999, Martinez has directed the Oregon Prevention Research Center's Latino Research Team (LRT) in collaboration with partners from Centro LatinoAmericano (the largest community-based social services organization for Latino families in the state), and the local Latino community. One of the main functions of the LRT is to provide cross-cultural methodological consultation to OSLC and other prevention researchers. He has extensive experience providing clinical and prevention services to diverse populations. He has published numerous methodological and substantive papers related to general cultural issues in prevention and preventive intervention effects for families coping with difficult life circumstances (e.g., Castro, Barrera, & Martinez, 2004; Eddy, Martinez, Morgan-Lopez, Smith, & Fisher, 2002; Foster & Martinez, 1995; Martinez & Forgatch, 2001, 2002), and related to substance use and academic failure prevention for Latino youth (e.g., DeGarmo & Martinez, 2003; Martinez, DeGarmo, & Eddy, in press; Martinez, Eddy, & DeGarmo, 2003).

Martinez also has presented many papers at national conferences, and has acted as an external consultant to other NIMH-funded prevention research centers and community organizations interested in facilitating community collaboration models and conducting culturally relevant intervention adaptations.