Student Spotlight: Juliane Martinez

For Juliane Martinez, advancing public health requires both human empathy and the organizational infrastructure to deliver real-world support. As a Staff Research Associate II and Lab Manager at UCLA’s Health Equity & Access Research & Treatment (HEART) Lab, Juliane operates at the intersection where clinical mental health research meets system-level grant administration.

Now a first-year student in the Executive MPH (EMPH) program in Health Policy and Management at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Juliane is equipping herself with the advanced financial, administrative, and policy tools needed to ensure life-saving, culturally responsive research reaches the communities that need it most.

Juliane’s journey into public health was shaped by a desire to understand human behavior alongside the institutional structures that govern care delivery. Raised in Los Angeles, she earned both a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Bachelor of Science in Business (with a minor in Spanish) from California State University, Channel Islands in 2022.

Her early passion for research was sparked under the mentorship of CSU Channel Islands professor Dr. Christy Teranishi-Martinez, working as an undergraduate research assistant on studies exploring flow, subjective well-being, and institutional experiences surrounding sexual assault and harassment.

While pursuing dual degrees, Juliane reflected on how two distinct fields reinforced one another:

“Psychology gave me insights into individual and family experiences of mental health challenges, while business taught me about structure, sustainability, and the systems that determine whether support services are accessible,” Juliane explains. “Together, my education in both fields has shaped my understanding that compassion must be paired with effective systems to truly make a difference.”

Since joining UCLA Health in 2023, Juliane has served as Lab Manager for the HEART Lab, led by Director Dr. Jocelyn Meza within the Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior (Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences). Her role encompasses leading study protocols, onboarding participants, analyzing data, mentoring undergraduate research associates, and assisting with complex federal grant proposals and budget justifications for the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Her research focuses directly on reducing mental health disparities among ethnoracially minoritized youth, adolescents, young adults, and populations impacted by social systems.

“Most of the studies I have helped conduct focus on developing culturally responsive treatments and interventions,” Juliane shares. “Being able to connect with our participants and hear their stories has shown me how many communities remain deeply underserved. Those connections have reaffirmed my desire to ensure our research transforms into actionable, accessible care.”

Her hands-on involvement with NIH R01 and R21 grant preparation exposed her to the underlying mechanics of public health funding—from refining strategy models to drafting administrative budget justifications alongside UCLA’s Office of Research Opportunity and Strategy.

Recognizing that driving sustainable change in healthcare research requires mastery over health systems, finance, and policy frameworks, Juliane selected the UCLA Executive MPH program to elevate her operational capabilities.

“Stepping into leadership roles in grant administration requires a deeper knowledge of health systems, financing, and policy frameworks,” says Juliane. “The EMPH program offers the exact executive training I need to connect high-impact research with sustainable funding infrastructure.”

Following graduation in 2028, Juliane aims to build a career in grant administration and research development within public health organizations, leading strategic resource allocation so that evidence-based, culturally tailored interventions can be scaled effectively across diverse communities.

“When I encountered doubts about my path, I returned to my grandmother’s advice and challenged myself to step outside of my comfort zone. That persistence led me to research psychology and public health—fields that allow us to ask complex questions and seek evidence-based solutions to real-world problems.

My goal is to ensure that strategic resource allocation and policy awareness align so that life-saving research can break through system barriers and reach the populations who need it most.”

To learn more about the Executive Master of Public Health program in Health Policy and Management at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, visit our EMPH Program Overview.