Silvia Martins, MD, PhD, Named Dean for Faculty
Dear Columbia Mailman Community,
I am pleased to announce that Silvia Martins, MD, PhD, has accepted my offer to be the School’s Dean for Faculty.
Dr. Martins is a Professor of Epidemiology, directs the Department of Epidemiology’s Substance Use Epidemiology Unit, co-directs the NIDA-funded Substance Abuse Epidemiology T32 training program, and is on faculty in the Columbia Center for Injury Science and Prevention. Her areas of research have focused on cannabis, opioids and substance use disorder, medical and recreational cannabis laws, opioid policies, the impacts of substance use policies on pregnant and postpartum women, and substance use disorders in people in Latin America. Silvia has won many awards, including the 2021 Calderone Health Equity Award, and was one of the School’s 2021-2023 Tow Leadership Scholars. She has been continuously funded by the NIH since 2006 as a Principal Investigator. Silvia is also currently a member of the Board of Directors of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence and the Interdisciplinary Association of Population Health Sciences. Silvia earned her MD from the Federal University of Paraná in Brazil, and her PhD from the University of São Paulo in Brazil. Sylvia has a deep passion for and commitment to successful faculty development, for effective mentorship, and for equity of opportunity.
Ken Cheung, PhD will continue to serve as the Dean for Faculty for the next few months as he and Silvia work together to ensure a smooth transition. Please join me in thanking Ken for his years of service as the Dean for Faculty, and for the exceptional work he led to support our amazing faculty members. I am so grateful for his leadership and contributions.
Dr. Martins will transition fully into the role on February 1, 2025. She will report jointly to me as Dean, and to Linda Lupiani in her role as Senior Associate Dean for Faculty and HR. I thank Linda Lupiani for joining me in providing strong support to Silvia.
I hope you will join me in thanking Silvia for accepting this new role, and for joining the School’s leadership team. I am looking forward to her contributions and positive impact.
With thanks,
Linda P. Fried, MD, MPH (she/her)
Dean and DeLamar Professor of Public Health
Mailman School of Public Health
Director, Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center
Senior Vice President, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Professor of Epidemiology and Medicine