Translating environmental exposures into equitable respiratory health through immunology, biomarker discovery, data science, and inclusive mentoring.
—Félix E. Rivera-Mariani, PhD FAAAAI
I lead an integrated ecosystem of research, mentoring, science communication, and ethical research technology that connects airborne environmental exposures, immune bioactivity, biomarker discovery, computational modeling, and community-facing translation to improve respiratory health in Puerto Rico, South Florida, and underserved communities. Through the RIPLRT Institute, I build collaborative, mentee-driven studies that advance environmental, respiratory, and immunological health; through Vistazo A La Ciencia, I translate science into accessible bilingual public dialogue that fosters leadership among minority groups; and through FERM LLC Technologies, I develop AI-assisted workflows, data analytics and dashboards, automation tools, and reproducible research infrastructure that make complex scientific and operational processes more reliable, documented, and scalable.
Explore My Research | View CV | Collaborate or Consult
My scientific story
Environmental exposures are unevenly distributed, and their health effects often go unnoticed until communities experience respiratory symptoms, inflammation, or disease exacerbations. My work addresses this challenge by integrating exposure science, immunology, microbiology, biomarker discovery, and computational data science to identify when and how biological and non-biological pollutants influence respiratory and immune health.
Through the RIPLRT Institute and collaborative research partnerships, my team studies indoor dust after hurricanes, fungal spores, airway microbiomes/mycobiomes, immune biomarkers, and population-level datasets to forecast short-term risk windows and support prevention. This work is especially focused on Puerto Rico, South Florida, and communities disproportionately affected by environmental and climate-related stressors. Across all projects, mentees are embedded from concept development to dissemination, building a diverse scientific workforce prepared to translate data into equitable health impact.
My Identity Pillars
Research
Environmental immunology, airborne exposures, fungal spores, indoor dust, respiratory risk, and immune bioactivity.
Data Science & AI
Machine learning, lag models, mixed-effects modeling, mediation, biomarker discovery, reproducible workflows.
Mentorship
Inclusive STEM mentoring, student-powered research, graduate training, and scientific identity development.
Translation & Communication
RIPLRT Institute, Vistazo A La Ciencia, public health messaging, bilingual science communication, FERM LLC Technologies.
Featured Updates
Recent News:
I’m honored to these two recent announcements:
1) Being named Fellow of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.
We are glad thee AAAAI recognizes our work, including the intersection of exposures to airborne biological (e.g., outdoor and indoor environment airborne allergens), non-biological pollutants and climate-related hazards. Read more here!
2) Being selected to the GeoCafePostdoctoral Opportunity
I'm honored to be selected as part of the GeoCAFE scholar cohort (https://www.climatehealthcafe.org/geocafe) — a dynamic network of changemakers working at the intersection of climate, community, and health.
"The idea behind GeoCAFE is simple: climate is affecting human health in serious ways, but too often, experts in geosciences and health work in separate spaces. GeoCAFE aims to bridge that gap, creating opportunities for collaboration between those who study environmental factors and those who address the health challenges they cause." (source: https://www.climatehealthcafe.org/geocafe)
#GeoCAFE #ClimateHealth #EnvironmentalJustice #ClimateAction #HealthEquity #PublicHealth #SustainableCommunities
Recent Blogs:
Why Every Newborn Needs the Hepatitis B Vaccine: Countering the Selective Screening Myth
Discover why universal hepatitis B vaccination at birth is critical for all infants, even those born to screened-negative mothers. Learn about screening limitations, horizontal transmission risks, and why the 90% infant chronicity rate makes this vaccine essential for preventing lifelong infection and liver cancer. Click here to read the blog!
ClickUp for Scientists: Running Labs, Mentoring, and Grants Without Burning Out
I wear a few hats: scientist, mentor, educator, and community builder. That means parallel timelines—IRB and pilot studies, student milestones, manuscripts, travel, seminars—moving at once. ClickUp is the “project brain” where I see it all in one place, from multi-site environmental health and biomarker discovery projects to student capstones and journal club prep. That unified view is how I keep the work human and sustainable, not chaotic (and yes, it plays nicely with my time-blocking and survey stack). Click here to read the blog!
I welcome collaborations in environmental immunology, respiratory health equity, biomarker discovery, AI/ML workflows, student-centered research training, and ethical research technology infrastructure.