• Contact Information
• Educational and Professional Background
• Research/Creative Activities
• Courses Taught
• Professional Memberships and Activities
• Recent Publications

Educational and Professional Background

1959 Brooklyn College
D.D.S., 1963, New York University School of Dentistry
M.P.H., 1969, Columbia University School of Public Health and Administrative Medicine

Marvin Marcus, DDS, MPH, is Professor and Chair of the Division of Public Health and Community Dentistry, UCLA School of Dentistry; Professor of Health Services at UCLA School of Public Health; and Director of the International Center for Dental Health Policy. He received his D.D.S. from New York University School of Dentistry in 1963. Dr. Marcus served as Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Dental Corps from 1963 to 1965. He completed a Masters of Public Health in 1969 from Columbia University School of Public Health and Administrative Medicine, after which he received a Public Health Service Fellowship and was a dental care consultant for the U.S. Public Health Service, D.H.E.W., Regional Office #2. Dr. Marcus joined the faculty of the UCLA School of Dentistry in 1970. In 1990, he received a RAND PEW Mid Career Health Policy Fellowship.

Research/Creative Activities

Dr. Marcus is an established health services researcher within dentistry and is widely known for his work on an index for measuring oral health. His earlier research work on task analysis of dentists and a system for valuing dental procedures, the Relative Time Cost Unit system (RTCU), and his work in quality assurance is internationally recognized. Dr. Marcus developed methodologies for record reviews incorporating stage of care, quantitative and categorical data, assessing quality and access to care. Dr. Marcus has extensive experience in managing complex research projects. He was Principal Investigator on the UCLA/Drew Minority Oral Research Center funded by NIDR. In addition to Co-PI of the HCSUS Oral Health Supplement and Chair of the HCSUS Oral Health Research Team, he is currently PI of NIDCR funded Oral Health/Care Disparities in HIV Minority Populations. His other projects involve community oral programs to underserved communities.

Courses taught

Course Chair
Health Policy Issues

Seminar leader
Clinical Applications of Quality Assurance; History and Ethics; Introduction to Behavioral Science

Professional memberships and activities:

American Public Health Association
American Association of Dental Schools
International Association for Dental Research
American Association of Public Health Dentistry

Recent Publications

1. Spolsky VW, Marcus M, Coulter ID, Der-Martirosian C, Atchison KA. An Empirical Test of the Validity of the Oral Health Status Index (OHSI). J Dental Research 2000; 79(12):1983-1988.
2. Marcus M, Freed JR, Coulter ID, Der-Martirosian C, Cunningham W, Andersen R, et al. “Perceived unmet need for oral treatment among a national population of HIV positive medical patients: Social and clinical Correlates.” American J of Public Health 90(7):1059-1063, 2000.
3. Heslin KC, Cunningham WE, Marcus M, Coulter I, Freed J, Der-Martirosian C, Bozzette SA, Shapiro MF, Morton SC, Andersen RM. “A comparison of unmet needs for dental and medical care among persons with HIV infection receiving care in the United States.” Journal of Public Health Dentistry 61(1):14-21, 2001.
4. Coulter I, Marcus M, Freed J, Der-Martirosian C, Guzman-Becerra N, Genovese BJ, Goldman D. “Self-Reported Behavior and Attitudes of Enrollees in Capitated and Fee-for-Service Dental Benefit Plans.” MR-1213-ADA Santa Monica, CA:RAND 2001.
5. Younai FS, Marcus M, Freed JR, Coulter ID, Cunningham W, Der-Martirosian C, Guzman-Becerra N, Shapiro M. Self-reported oral dryness and HIV disease in a national sample of patients receiving medical care. Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology and Endodontics 92:629-36, 2001.
6. Coulter ID, Heslin K, Marcus M, Hays R, Freed JR, Der-Martirosian C, Guzmán-Becerra N, Cunningham W, Andersen R, Shapiro M. Associations of self-reported oral health with physical and mental health in a nationally representative sample of HIV persons receiving medical care. Quality of Life Research 2002; 11:57-70.
7. Katrova L, Coulter I, Maida C, Marcus M, Katrova Tz. Political, economic and social contexts of the health reforms in the countries of central and eastern Europe. Healthcare Management 2003;3(2):12-19 (printed in Bulgarian).
8. Dobalian A, Andersen RM, Stein JA, Hays RD, Cunningham WE, Marcus M. The impact of HIV on oral health and subsequent use of dental services. J Public Health Dent 2003;63(2):78-85.