Martin Forde, ScD
Professor, Public Health and Preventive Medicine
Biography
Dr. Martin St. Clair Forde, ScD, SM, R.Eng., is Assistant Dean of Research and Professor in the Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at St. George’s University’s School of Medicine. Trained as an industrial engineer and occupational ergonomist, he holds a Doctor of Science degree in Occupational Ergonomics from the University of Massachusetts Lowell, a Master of Science in Environmental Health Management from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, a Master of Applied Science in Ergonomics from Dalhousie University, and a B.Sc. in Industrial Engineering from the University of the West Indies.
Dr. Forde’s research is highly interdisciplinary, spanning environmental health, occupational health and safety, climate change impacts on health, and medical education. He has led and collaborated on multi-country studies across the Caribbean, including baseline assessments of heavy metals, various classes of pesticides, Bisphenol A (BPA) and persistent organic pollutants in pregnant women, water quality and eutrophication monitoring, zoonotic and vector-borne disease surveillance, and the health implications of Saharan dust and fine particulate matter. His work has appeared in high-impact journals such as The Lancet Regional Health – Americas, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, and Discover Sustainability.
An active contributor to academic leadership, Dr. Forde has helped to further develop SGU’s Medical Student Research Institute (MSRI) programs for both Basic Science and Clinical students. These programs have been designed to build capacity in student-led research and foster scholarly productivity among future physicians. His commitment to research mentorship has resulted in numerous student-led publications, conference presentations, and policy-relevant outputs.
Dr. Forde has also served on regional and international committees, including the Inter-Academy Network of Academies of Science (IANAS) as the Caribbean Water Group representative, and he continues to provide technical expertise to governments and multilateral agencies on environmental health, climate resilience, and public health systems strengthening.
Contact Information
Areas of Interest
- Environmental health and water quality in Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS)
- Occupational health, ergonomics, and industrial hygiene
- Climate change, air pollution, and public health adaptation strategies
- Zoonotic and vector-borne disease surveillance (rabies, chikungunya, toxoplasmosis, etc.)
- Environmental contaminants (BPA, pesticides, heavy metals, PFAS) and maternal-child health
- Antimicrobial resistance and wastewater-based epidemiology
- Research mentorship, student research training, and medical education
- Medical education on abortion, climate change and health, marijuana, vaping and e-cigarette use
Affiliations
- Windward Islands Research & Education Foundation (WINDREF) – Research Fellow
- American Public Health Association (APHA) – Member, Occupational Health & Safety SIG
- American Public Health Association (APHA) – Member, Environmental Health SIG
- Association of Schools and Programs in Public Health (ASPPH) – Member
- Caribbean Academy of Sciences – Member
- Inter-Academy Network of Academies of Science (IANAS) – Caribbean Water Group Expert Representative
- Grenada Institute of Professional Engineers – Registered Engineer
- Board of Engineering of Trinidad & Tobago – Registered Engineer
- Association of Professional Engineers of Trinidad & Tobago (APETT) – Member
- Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association – Member
Selected Publications
- Yang, N.KH., Dirienzo, N., Forde, M.S. et al. Temporal trends in ambient fine particulate matter in Grenada between 2009 and 2022. Environ Monit Assess, 197:850 (2025).
- Hall, H., Feest, J., Zarate, S., Forde, M.S. Medical Students’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceptions Toward Vaping and E-Cigarette Use. Int. Med. Educ. 4(2):8 (2025).
- Forde, M.S., Cashman, A., Mitchell, K. Sustainability of water resources in Caribbean small island developing states.Discover Sustainability 5:265 (2024).
- Lucien, A.B., Forde, M.S., Isabel, M.R. et al. Infectious diseases genomic surveillance capacity in the Caribbean. Lancet Regional Health – Americas 18:100411 (2023).
- Dirienzo, N., Mitchell, K., Forde, M. et al. Temporal trends in ambient fine particulate matter and COVID-19 impacts in Grenada. J. Air & Waste Manage. Assoc. (2022).
- Forde, M.S., Côté, S., Ayotte, P. et al. Bisphenol A in pregnant women from 10 Caribbean countries. Toxics 10:556 (2022).
- Doria, M.F., Segurado, P., Korc, M., Forde, M. et al. COVID-19 implications for the water and sanitation sector in Latin America and the Caribbean. IJERPH 18(21):11703 (2021).
- González Rivas, E.J., Roldán Pérez, G., Tundisi, J.G., Vammen, K., Ormeci, B., Forde, M. Eutrophication: A growing problem in the Americas and the Caribbean. Braz. J. Biol. 80(3):688-689 (2020).
- Vaux, H. Jr., Vammen, K., Bernex, N., Fabrega, J., Forde, M. et al. The Challenges of Managing the Urban Waters of the Americas. Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development 62(2):14–29 (2020).
- Compton, S., Forde, M. Assessment of recreational water quality in southern Grenada. Int. Public Health J. 12(4):393–403 (2020).
Selected Projects
- Multi-country Heavy Metals, Pesticides, BPA and Persistent Organic Pollutant (POP) exposure studies in pregnant women across 10 Caribbean nations.
- Ambient air quality and particulate matter monitoring in Grenada, including COVID-19 impacts.
- Water resource sustainability and eutrophication in Caribbean SIDS.
- Vector-borne and zoonotic disease surveillance (rabies, toxoplasmosis, chikungunya).
- Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) for monitoring pathogens and antimicrobial resistance in Grenada.
- Medical student knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of abortion, climate change and health, marijuana, vaping and e-cigarette use.
SVM Research Faculty
View the SVM faculty involved in research and SVM Adjunct and Cooperating faculty who collaborate with SVM researchers. SVM faculty also collaborate with many other researchers at institutions in North and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia. These collaborations are reflected within the individual SVM faculty research profile.
