Biography
He was a Professor with Indiana University School of Dentistry from 2005 until 2017. In 2017 he transferred to the Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health (FSPH) in Indianapolis as Associate Dean of Research (2017-2023). Besides his position with the Department of Epidemiology, he is Chief Innovation Officer of the FSPH Extension for Community Health Care Outcomes (ECHO) Center, and an Associate Director of the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI) Community Health Programs (2020 to date). Dr. Maupomé is a Visiting Professor with the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom; and an Affiliated Professor, Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Indiana University Bloomington. He is also an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Periodontology, Indiana University School of Dentistry. He is involved in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice (DEIJ) endeavours at CTSI, school, and campus levels, to enhance and implement multiple efforts focused on DEIJ. Dr. Maupomé is the Team Lead for the FSPH Diversity Strategic Plan. Besides local recognition from community organizations for his long-standing work with and about Hispanic/Latinx communities in Indiana, he has been recognized by the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) with the Giddon Award for Distinguished Research in the Behavioral Sciences (2019), and an IADR Distinguished Scientist Award (2022). In 2024 Dr. Maupomé became Chancellor’s Professor of Epidemiology. Additionally, IU Indianapolis designated him as the 2024 Chancellor’s Diversity Scholar.
Research Interests
Dr. Maupomé has been involved in various research approaches. They span from epidemiological studies assessing the impact of public health fluoridation, to clinical trials of chlorhexidine varnishes; from community demonstrations to promote healthier lifestyle decisions, to quantitative appraisals of factors contributing to poor oral health and failure to access dental services; and from qualitative investigations into social and economic determinants of health, to economic analyses of the costs implied in health conditions and associated clinical treatment. Egocentric network methods have been a consistent feature of the research portfolio in the last 13+ years. Some of these studies have been focused on American Indians, people of Mexican and Latinx origin, those 65 years of age and older, children, and population groups with restricted access to dental services.
Current Projects
Dr. Maupomé continues his active research and public health practice agendas in various areas. For example, to expand studies in oral epidemiology and dental health services research for all types of populations groups (both in North America and in less developed countries), with special attention to the identification, characterization, evaluation, and contrasts of disease manifestations and associated risk factors. Placing the various disease outcomes in the context of the outcomes derived from treatment courses (preventive and rehabilitative) remains an important part of his research, using various investigation approaches - in isolation or in combination. Also, the use of mixed-methods to evaluate patterns of professional practices, and how decisions for dental treatment are made, will complement goals for educational research and the creation of an evidence base of innovative clinical approaches to manage oral conditions/diseases.
Dr. Maupomé led an NIH-funded, seven year study to characterize the evolution of egocentric social networks and the impact of such changes in oral health status, dental care use, and overall well-being among Hispanic/Latinx (the VidaSana study). Other research studies focused on the Hispanic/Latinx community have characterized trends and features of cancer and Covid-19. He also co-directed a study funded by private industry into perceptions of dental erosion (deterioration of dental tissues through exposure to acids in the mouth). In the latter investigator-initiated study, Dr. Maupomé and colleagues ascertained how dental professionals and lay public identify dental conditions in terms of the clinical and appearance impacts. This line of research led to an NIH-funded study to test perceptions of dental conditions across dental professionals and patients using the real-life laboratory of the National Dental Practice Based Research Network, the largest dental office panel for practical research in the U.S.
