Dr. Aresha Martinez-Cardoso is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of Chicago, where she leads the Embodying Racism Lab. An interdisciplinary population health researcher, Dr. Martinez-Cardoso investigates the intersections of race, policy, and social determinants of health by pairing epidemiological methods with social science theory. The bulk of her research focuses on the health and well-being of Latinx and immigrant populations in the United States.
Her research has been published in leading journals such as Social Science & Medicine and Current Diabetes Reports and funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institute on Aging, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Through her teaching, research, and service, Dr. Martinez-Cardoso is committed to advancing health equity and ensuring that interventions and policies center the voices of marginalized communities. She holds a Ph.D. in Health Behavior and Health Education from the University of Michigan and an M.S. in Community Health Sciences from UCLA. Prior to her current position, she was a Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Chicago.
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor
PhD - Health Behavior and Health Education
2018
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles
MS - Community Health Sciences
2013
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles
BA - Latin American Studies
2010
Measuring differential exposure, susceptibility, & adaptability as dimensions of vulnerability for U.S. counties across the Pandemic.
Measuring differential exposure, susceptibility, & adaptability as dimensions of vulnerability for U.S. counties across the Pandemic. Health Place. 2026 Sep; 101:103734.
PMID: 42705140
State-Funded Health Insurance Expansion for Noncitizen Immigrants and Hospital Uncompensated Care.
State-Funded Health Insurance Expansion for Noncitizen Immigrants and Hospital Uncompensated Care. JAMA Netw Open. 2026 Sep 01; 9(9):e2631331.
PMID: 42714911
Working out of necessity: how job lock shapes health for older workers.
Working out of necessity: how job lock shapes health for older workers. Gerontologist. 2026 Aug 05; 66(9).
PMID: 42485227
Association between migration and cardiovascular health in Mexicans: a binational analysis using the Hispanic Community Health Study (HCHS/SOL) and Mexican Family Life Survey (MxFLS).
Association between migration and cardiovascular health in Mexicans: a binational analysis using the Hispanic Community Health Study (HCHS/SOL) and Mexican Family Life Survey (MxFLS). J Epidemiol Community Health. 2026 Jun 10; 80(7):503-511.
PMID: 41741008
Rethinking the Role of Culture in Health Research.
Rethinking the Role of Culture in Health Research. JAMA Netw Open. 2026 Apr 01; 9(4):e264785.
PMID: 41926127
Shifting Federal and State Policy Landscapes for Health Insurance Coverage of Noncitizen Immigrants: Where Are We 30 Years After PRWORA?
Shifting Federal and State Policy Landscapes for Health Insurance Coverage of Noncitizen Immigrants: Where Are We 30 Years After PRWORA? J Health Polit Policy Law. 2025 Dec 01; 50(6):945-970.
PMID: 40538327
Association of education labor overmatch and health among U.S.-born and immigrant older adults.
Association of education labor overmatch and health among U.S.-born and immigrant older adults. Innov Aging. 2025 Jul; 9(7):igaf076.
PMID: 41142665
Addressing Social Determinants of Health to Promote Health Equity for Latinx Families: A Mixed-Methods Study of the DULCE Intervention.
Addressing Social Determinants of Health to Promote Health Equity for Latinx Families: A Mixed-Methods Study of the DULCE Intervention. Fam Community Health. 2025 Jul-Sep 01; 48(3):207-222.
PMID: 40300070
"We have to lie low … that sort of poisons me more and more": A qualitative study of violent political rhetoric and health implications for Spanish and Chinese speaking immigrants.
"We have to lie low … that sort of poisons me more and more": A qualitative study of violent political rhetoric and health implications for Spanish and Chinese speaking immigrants. Soc Sci Med. 2024 01; 341:116504.
PMID: 38134713
Returning personal genetic information on susceptibility to arsenic toxicity to research participants in Bangladesh.
Returning personal genetic information on susceptibility to arsenic toxicity to research participants in Bangladesh. Environ Res. 2024 01 01; 240(Pt 2):117482.
PMID: 37879393
National Institute of Health Loan Repayment Program
National Institutes on Minority Health and Health Disparities
2023 - 2024
National Institute of Health Loan Repayment Program
National Institutes on Minority Health and Health Disparities
2019 - 2021