Martez Smith, PhD, LMSW, is a public health researcher, social worker, educator, and community-engaged scholar whose work focuses on HIV prevention and care, sexual health, social networks, and health equity among Black sexual and gender minority communities. He currently serves as Research Program Manager for the Community Engagement Core at the NYCenter for Advancing Translational Research and Health at the CUNY School of Medicine, where he supports community-academic partnerships and initiatives designed to ensure that historically marginalized communities are meaningfully represented in health research.
Dr. Smith earned his doctorate in nursing and health science from the University of Rochester School of Nursing. He subsequently completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Behavioral Sciences Research in HIV Infection at Columbia University Medical Center and the New York State Psychiatric Institute.
Since beginning his career as an HIV case management intern in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio, in 2010, Dr. Smith has worked across direct service, research, public health programming, policy, and community advocacy. His roles have included HIV test counselor, research assistant and coordinator on HIV and sexual health studies, and consultant for national and state HIV awareness campaigns. He also contributed to the launch of New York City’s Office of Supportive/Affordable Housing and Services, an initiative established to support the procurement of 15,000 units of supportive housing.
His record of community and public health leadership contributed to his appointment as Community Co-Chair of the Black MSM Subcommittee of the New York State Ending the Epidemic Task Force. In this role, he led efforts to strengthen HIV prevention, care engagement, and health outcomes for Black men who have sex with men across New York State. In 2019, he also served as the inaugural Storytelling Co-Chair for the CDC-hosted National HIV Prevention Conference.
Dr. Smith is the Principal Investigator of the New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute’s first statewide study focused on crystal methamphetamine use among Black men who have sex with men. He is also a recipient of a National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Mental Health Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Predoctoral Fellowship. Across his scholarship, practice, and policy work, Dr. Smith centers community expertise and translates lived experience into research, programs, and systems-level change.
His contributions have been recognized through several honors, including Harlem Pride’s 2026 Legacy of Pride Award, the University of Rochester Office of Equity and Inclusion’s 2023 Change Maker Award, and the House of Mizrahi’s 2022 Infiniti Award for his contributions to the House and Ballroom community.
Publications
Betelhem A. Muno, M. Haris, Amra Zegeye, Rahel Behailu, Shukri A Hassan, J. Islam, Martez D R Smith, Bridgette Picou, Chioma Nnaji, Jennifer Barnes-Balenciaga, Marissa E. Miller, S. Sawyer, D. Mccullough, Luis Mares, Ulysses Burley, Phyllis Bijole, Ian L Haddock, Bill Hall, Mitchell Warren, Dustin T. Duncan, Stephaun Elite Wallace-Marc Jacobs, Marlene Camacho-Rivera, Jessica Jaiswal, Rena C Patel
Health Equity, 2025
Cho-Hee Shrader, Courtney L. Robinson, M. Hassan, Brandon Brown, Ji-Young Lee, Martez D R Smith, Carl A. Latkin, John A. Schneider, Danielle C Ompad, Dustin T. Duncan
AIDS Education and Prevention, 2025
Natalie M Leblanc, S. Muheriwa-Matemba, Noelle M. St. Vil, Danielle C Alcéna-Stiner, K. Bond, Alexander Glazier, Luis Rosario-McCabe, Faith Lambert, Martez D R Smith
medRxiv, 2024
Global North learning from Global South: A community-led response to mpox in New York City
Grant Roth, Jennifer Barnes-Balenciaga, Joseph S Osmundson, Martez D R Smith, Nguyen K Tran, Nicholas Diamond, Keletso Makofane
PLOS Global Public Health, 2023
Jeffrey Birnbaum, Michael Roberson, Marlon M Bailey, Martez D R Smith, DeAnne Turner, Han-Zhu Qian, Sangchoon Jeon, Sabina Hirshfield, LaRon E Nelson
PLoS ONE, 2023
Martez D R Smith, Natalie M. Leblanc, LaRon E Nelson, James McMahon
PLoS ONE, 2023
S. Hirshfield, J. Birnbaum, DeAnne Turner, Michael Roberson, M. Bailey, Martez D R Smith, LaRon E Nelson
2023
Gamji M’Rabiu Abubakari, Martez DR Smith, Donte T Boyd, S Raquel Ramos, Courtney Johnson, Juan L Benavides, Megan Threats, Junior L Allen, Camille R Quinn
International journal of environmental research and public health, vol. 19(2), 2022, p. 1003
S. Hirshfield, J. Birnbaum, DeAnne Turner, Michael Roberson, M. Bailey, Martez D R Smith, LaRon E Nelson
Health Promotion Practice, 2022
S. Hirshfield, J. Birnbaum, DeAnne Turner, Michael Roberson, M. Bailey, Martez D R Smith, LaRon E Nelson
Health Promotion Practice, 2022
J. McMahon, J. Simmons, J. Haberer, S. Mannheimer, Natalie M Leblanc, Leilani Torres, Robert Quiles, G. Aedo, A. Javier, Amy Braksmajer, Graham A Harriman, Nicole Trabold, E. Pouget, A. Kurth, Martez D. R. Smith, Judith Brasch, Eric J Podsiadly, P. Anderson
BMJ Open, 2021
Natalie M Leblanc, H. Crean, Typhanye Dyer, Chen Zhang, Rodman E. Turpin, Nanhua Zhang, Martez D. R. Smith, J. McMahon, LaRon E Nelson
Archives of sexual behavior, 2021
Natalie M. Leblanc, Hugh F. Crean, Typhanye Dyer, Chen Zhang, R. Turpin, Nanhua Zhang, Martez D R Smith, J. McMahon, LaRon E Nelson
Archives of Sexual Behavior, 2021
A. Ogunbajo, Natalie M Leblanc, Sameer Kushwaha, F. Boakye, S. Hanson, Martez D. R. Smith, LaRon E Nelson
AIDS care, 2020
Vogue dance, flow, and a new dimension for performance psychology.
Martez D. R. Smith, Leeja Carter, J. Phillips
The Humanistic Psychologist, 2020
P. Djiadeu, Martez D. R. Smith, Sameer Kushwaha, Apondi J Odhiambo, David Absalom, W. Husbands, W. Tharao, R. Regan, Ting Sa, Nanhua Zhang, R. Kaul, LaRon E Nelson
Journal of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care, 2020
Mandating intersectionality in sport psychology
Martez D. R. Smith, Cathryn B. Lucas, Erica Tibbetts, Leeja Carter
Feminist Applied Sport Psychology, 2019
How do male sex workers on Craigslist differ from those on Rentboy? A comparison of two samples
C. Grov, J. Koken, Martez D. R. Smith, J. Parsons
Culture, health & sexuality, 2017