Biography

Ruben G. Martinez is a clinical psychologist who wants to improve systems of care for youth experiencing mental health problems. His research sits at the intersection of clinical and implementation sciences, and his research is heavily informed by his clinical experience. His implementation research focuses on evidence synthesis methods, measurement issues, and the creation of practical implementation methods, especially for mental health problems. His clinical research relates to the therapy process — the behaviors and processes that happen in therapy that lead clients to change and improve — particularly in “evidence-based treatments” such as cognitive behavioral therapy.

At Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute (KPWHRI), Ruben works as a collaborative scientist across several scientific teams. He is a co-investigator of the IMPACT Center — a National Institute of Mental Health ALACRITY Research Center developing practical implementation methods for community mental health settings. He co-leads the first signature project of the IMPACT Center, leads the center-wide evaluation, and leads engagement with the youth and stakeholder advisory boards. At KPWHRI’s Center for Accelerating Care Transformation (ACT Center), Ruben works with a multidisciplinary team that is implementing cognitive behavioral therapy for chronic pain for individuals who are being tapered off unsafe levels of opioids.

Ruben is passionate about teaching and clinical work. He earned his PhD at Virginia Commonwealth University in 2020 and completed his predoctoral residency and postdoctoral fellowship at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA. While not currently practicing, he has experience working across multiple levels of care — from primary care to inpatient psychiatric units. He mainly specializes in the treatment of childhood anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder and severe and co-occurring psychiatric issues. Clinically, he teaches about culturally compassionate anxiety treatment, measurement-based care, case conceptualization, evidence-based assessment, and iatrogenic medical trauma. He frequently gives invited didactics and has served as a clinical and adjunct instructor.

In his free time, Ruben enjoys hiking, climbing, and spending time outdoors with his dog.