Welcome to my website!

My name is Félix M. Pabón-Rodríguez. I'm an Assistant Professor of Biostatistics and Health Data Science at the Indiana University School of Medicine and an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Informatics at the IU Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering in Indianapolis, Indiana. 

I received my Ph.D. degree in Biostatistics from the University of Iowa College of Public Health. I earned a B.S. degree in Pure Mathematics and an M.S. degree in Mathematical Statistics, both from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez. In addition, I have two certifications: Applied Mathematics and Secondary Mathematics Education. 

My research interests are centered around advancing the understanding of infectious diseases and health equity research through the development and implementation of Bayesian statistical methodologies and other advanced analytical techniques such as joint models of longitudinal and survival data. Within infectious diseases research, I have developed Bayesian state-space models to characterize the transmission dynamics and diagnostic progression of diseases such as visceral leishmaniasis and Lyme disease, integrating molecular diagnostic and serologic data to elucidate co-infections, immune responses, and treatment effects. In addition, I have a strong interest in developing methodologies to address important issues such as the underreporting and misclassification of disease/infection cases via joint models.

Alongside this methodological work, I maintain a strong focus on health equity. I have investigated how social determinants of health (SDOH) contribute to disparities in outcomes such as vaccination coverage among U.S. children and morbidity among nursing home residents. I currently lead or support several interdisciplinary projects focused on critical public health challenges, including maternal morbidity and mortality in the U.S., where I aim to identify key structural and behavioral drivers of persistent disparities in maternal health outcomes.

In line with this focus on health equity and infectious disease, I am also leading a research project focused on malaria infection in western Kenya. This project responds to growing evidence that the malaria burden is shifting toward children aged 5–16 years, a population historically overlooked by existing interventions. In partnership with malaria experts at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST), we are building cross-country collaborations and engaging local stakeholders to assess malaria knowledge, prevention practices, and intervention uptake among school-aged children, caregivers, teachers, and community health promoters. This community-engaged effort will inform the development of a multi-level, co-designed intervention that integrates school-based education, caregiver engagement, and community health promotion. 

In addition to my research work, part of my service responsibilities to the university and community are to support Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and promote the fields of Biostatistics and Data Science to underrepresented and minority populations through summer and outreach programs and recruitment. 

Academic Website: https://medicine.iu.edu/faculty/64378/pabon-rodriguez-felix