Research scientist found healthcare path through HFEC

When Henry Ford Early College staff gave a presentation at Bryant Middle School, Gregorio Martinez III was intrigued.

“I saw the benefits of graduating from high school and earning an associate degree at the same time,” said Martinez, of Allen Park, a research scientist for Functional Fluidics in TechTown Detroit at Wayne State University.

HFEC is a partnership between HFC, the Dearborn Public Schools, and Henry Ford Health in coordination with the Wayne County Regional Educational Service Agency (RESA) and the Michigan Board of Education. It is a 5-year program in which students simultaneously complete high school, earn an associate degree, and receive certification in an allied health profession.

“The great thing about the Early College is you go on rotations, shadowing different career paths in the health care field,” explained Martinez. “Every Wednesday, we’d go to downtown Detroit and shadow surgical technicians, ophthalmic technicians, nurses. It gives you an idea about whether a career in health care is right for you or not. I loved being able to be with people in these settings. I shadowed a biotechnologist and learned more about what a medical technician does and how to find a job in that area.”

Making his mom proud

An only child, Martinez was born in Dearborn. He graduated from HFEC, earning his high school diploma, and he graduated from HFC, earning his associate degree in general science studies. He was a member of the HFEC’s 2017 graduating class.

“By the time I finished my final year at the Early College, the administration knew what to expect from students and from the Henry Ford Health employees giving us opportunities to shadow them. I had very positive experiences with the Early College,” he recalled.

Martinez transferred to Michigan State University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in genomics and molecular genetics, graduating in three years. He went on to earn his master’s degree in community health from Wayne State.

“Enrolling in the Early College was the best decision for my son to pursue this amazing program. He learned so much, and it really prepared him for his career,” said Martinez’s mother Sylvia Lozoya, the Vice President of Human Resources and Community Relations at Alliance Catholic Credit Union in Farmington Hills.

100% dedication to staying up to date in an ever-growing field

Martinez has worked at Functional Fluidics for more than two years. His duties include:

• Running lab assays
• Providing biomarker data for clinical trial studies to find innovative treatments for sickle cell disease
• Performing data analyses and interpreting results for research that gets published

“The science is always evolving,” he explained. “Being up to date on new treatments and any nuances in any disease field is tough if you are not dedicated to it 100%. Being in the lab daily does not leave much time for reading about the latest breakthroughs, which is why I dedicate my free time to learning about them.”

Prior to Functional Fluidics, Martinez worked for the National Institutes of Health’s Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) on the Wayne State campus for almost two years. The PRB’s mission was to conduct research on obstetrical complications and develop strategies to reduce infant and maternal mortality.

“I had one-on-one experiences with Ph.Ds. and post-docs who were researching preterm births and other pregnancy-related issues,” he recalled. “The lab experience taught me to use more instruments and techniques than I ever imagined.”

Aspirations to teach at HFC

Science always came easy for Martinez, which set him on his career path. His career goal is to start his own biotech company.

“I don’t know what service I’ll be providing, but I want to use all the knowledge I continue to acquire to form a company of my own and help out in that way, assisting researchers and other companies,” explained Martinez.

“I would also like to teach at HFC and gave back,” he said.

Martinez credits the Early College and HFC for his academic and professional success. He attributes his passion for his job to retired HFC biology instructor Dr. Charlie Jacobs’ microbiology class.

“Those science courses correlated with what I wanted to do with my career,” said Martinez. “I like to tell people that I graduated from MSU in three years because of the HFEC. It really helped prepare me for MSU. I had a strong in background in science and it gave me a good foundation.”

He continued: “HFEC also gave me an indication of how to conduct myself in professional settings, learning how to respect others when they’re showing me how to do things. It taught me how to respect my professors. It gave me a sense of professionalism and understanding of what professors go through when they teach.”

Without hesitation, Martinez recommends that students attend the Early College.

“If they want to get a head start in their academic careers and they know what they want to do, go for it,” he said. “It’s a great experience, and you won’t regret it. I’d recommend highly it to anybody.”