An Oregon Health & Science University biostatistician whose research exposes racial and ethnic health inequality is among 100 newly elected members of the National Academy of Medicine, which advises the nation on medical issues.
The election recognizes Miguel Marino, Ph.D., an associate professor of biostatistics in the OHSU School of Medicine’s Department of Family Medicine and the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health’s Biostatistics Group, for being a world leader in primary care biostatistics, using innovative approaches to study racial and ethnic subpopulations in electronic health records, or EHRs. The academy notes Marino’s “pioneering methods to use EHR data for health equity research have revolutionized this field.”
Election to the academy is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine, and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service. New members are elected by current members.
“Dr. Marino’s statistical innovations reveal how U.S. health care providers and institutions can better serve historically marginalized communities that continue to experience health inequities today,” said OHSU President Danny Jacobs, M.D., M.P.H., FACS. “Advancing health equity is of critical importance. We are proud of Dr. Marino and his transformational work, and pleased that his efforts are being recognized by the National Academy of Medicine.”
A first-generation Mexican American, Marino employs statistics to answer pressing questions about health policy, health disparities, health insurance and more. He uses multiple layers of data — such as a patient’s preferred language or place of birth, whether clinics are located in rural or urban areas, and state or federal policies — to explore differences among distinct subgroups of patients who research often lumps together due to their shared race or ethnicity. Marino seeks to understand how each subgroup accesses care; if certain conditions affect some subgroups more than others; and how different policies or approaches to health care can improve access or reduce inequity.
He and John Heintzman, M.D., co-founded the Primary Care Latino Equity Research Lab, or PRIMER Lab, at OHSU. He is statistical editor for JAMA Health Forum; co-chairs the NIH Community Engagement Alliance’s Needs Assessment & Evaluation Workgroup; and serves on the U.S. Census Bureau’s National Advisory Committee on Racial, Ethnic and Other Populations. In 2020, the National Academy of Medicine named him an Emerging Leader in Health and Medicine.
Marino earned a doctorate in biostatistics from Harvard University, as well as a master’s degree in biostatistics and a bachelors’ degree in mathematics and applied science, both from the University of California, Los Angeles. He served as a post-doctoral fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health before joining OHSU in 2012.
Other OHSU faculty members who have previously been elected to the National Academy of Medicine include: Erik Brodt, M.D.; Deborah Cohen, Ph.D.; Jennifer DeVoe, M.D.; Brian Druker, M.D.; Richard Goodman, M.D., Ph.D.; Eric Gouaux, Ph.D., Joe Gray, Ph.D.; Danny Jacobs, M.D., M.P.H., FACS; Craig Newgard, M.D., M.P.H.; and Gary Westbrook, M.D.
More information and a list of all 100 new National Academy of Medicine members can be found in the academy’s announcement.