Dr. Martin entered graduate school at Virginia Commonwealth University where he worked with Mike Grotewiel on the biology of aging using Drosophila melanogaster. He then joined Ted and Valina Dawson’s laboratory at Johns Hopkins University as a postdoctoral fellow to investigate the role of LRRK2 (leucine-rich repeat kinase 2) in Parkinson’s disease pathogenesis. His work has identified a role for LRRK2 kinase activity in disease pathogenesis through ribosomal protein phosphorylation and altered mRNA translation.

Dr. Martin joined the OHSU department of Neurology as Assistant Professor with memberships in the Jungers Center for Neurosciences and OHSU Parkinson and Movement Disorder Program. He will continue to use Drosophila genetics to examine how dopamine neuron degeneration occurs following mutations linked to Parkinson’s disease.