Departmental Affiliations
Center & Institute Affiliations
Research Interests
measurement, Indigenous health, mental health, statistical methods, data analysis, mediation models, structural equation models
Experiences & Accomplishments
Dr. Felix Muniz (Onk Akimel O'odham, Tohono O'odham) is from the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community and is an Assistant Scientist in the Department of International Health at Johns Hopkins BSPH. Dr. Muniz's research focuses on quantitative research methods and Indigenous health, with particular expertise in measurement, prevention, and intervention methods, and mental health interventions. He received his PhD from Arizona State University and has been at Johns Hopkins since 2024. Dr. Muniz's work addresses statistical issues faced by researchers working with Indigenous peoples and understanding psychological mechanisms to perpetuate Indigenous conceptualizations of mental health, contributing to our understanding of how to combat the persistent and negative effects of ongoing settler colonialism for Indigenous people. Currently, Dr. Muniz is involved in several projects addressing mental health in Indigenous communities and has published in the fields of statistical methods and Indigenous health, with his work appearing in journals such as Multivariate Behavioral Research, Behavioral Sciences, and Structural equation modeling: a multidisciplinary journal.
Select Publications
Muniz, F. B. & MacKinnon, D. P. (2025). Three Approaches to Testing for Statistical Suppression. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 1–23.
Gonzales, O., MacKinnon, D. P., & Muniz, F. B. (2020) Extrinsic Convergent Validity Evidence to Prevent Jingle and Jangle Fallacies, Multivariate Behavioral Research
10.1080/00273171.2019.1707061Muniz, F. B., Kalina, E., Patock-Peckham, J. A., Berberian, S., Fulop, B., Williams, J., & Leeman, R. F. (2024). A Test of the Self-medication Hypothesis Using a Latent Measurement Model: Are Stress and Impaired Control Over Alcohol Mediating Mechanisms of Parenting Styles on Heavy Episodic Drinking and Alcohol-related Problems Among University Students?. Behavioral Sciences, 14(5), 384.
Merculief, A., Tsethlikai, M., & Muniz, F. (2024). Applying an Indigenous Connectedness Framework to Examine Environmental Risk and Protective Factors for Urban American Indian Children’s Executive Function Development. Behavioral Sciences, 14(12), 1202.