Hector A. Martinez De La Torre

Biography

Hector A. Martinez De La Torre is a Specialist I (Lab Manager) in the Department of Earth System Science at the University of California, Irvine, where he manages the Keck-CCAMS Group laboratory. He received a B.Sc. in Chemistry from the University of California, Irvine in 2011 and pursued graduate studies in Geochemistry at the University of Alberta. Martinez De La Torre has been with the Keck-CCAMS Group since 2010, progressing from student lab assistant to his current supervisory role overseeing laboratory personnel, sample preparation, and radiocarbon analysis operations.

Martinez De La Torre's research focuses on radiocarbon dating and stable isotope analysis of organic materials, particularly bone collagen and keratinous tissues such as hair and fingernails. His work spans applications in paleontology, archaeology, and forensic science. He established a bone collagen extraction facility at the University of Alberta and has contributed to paleontological studies of late Pleistocene fauna from unglaciated Beringia, including investigations of horse, bison, and caribou remains. His research has also addressed methodological challenges in radiocarbon dating, including the development of protocols for removing contaminants from human hair and tar from La Brea Tar Pits specimens.

In his current role, Martinez De La Torre provides technical expertise in sample preparation for radiocarbon and stable isotope analysis, supervises and trains laboratory personnel and undergraduate assistants, and maintains specialized equipment including accelerator mass spectrometers and continuous flow stable isotope ratio mass spectrometers. He has published research on radiocarbon blanks from permafrost-preserved materials, isotopic analysis of modern human hair and nails, and phytolith carbon analysis. Martinez De La Torre has presented his research at multiple international conferences, including the International AMS Conference and the International Radiocarbon Conference.

Education

• B.Sc. in Chemistry, University of California – Irvine, 2011

Distinctions

• Harington Paleoenvironmental Scholarship, University of Alberta, 2015
• J. Gordin Kaplan Graduate Student Award, University of Alberta, 2016