David-Erick Lafontant, PhD

David-Erick Lafontant, PhD, MS, is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Iowa’s Clinical Trials Statistical and Data Management Center (CTSDMC). His work focuses on the analysis of clinical trials and observational studies, with an emphasis on Parkinson’s disease, neurodegenerative disorders, and biomarker discovery. Over more than a decade at CTSDMC, Dr. Lafontant has led biostatistical efforts for the Michael J. Fox Foundation’s Analysis strategy, Write Now initiative, and Biomarker Strategy  group contributing to the identification of biomarkers for neuronal synuclein diseases. His expertise includes cluster randomized trial design, longitudinal and survival analysis, and advanced modeling methods. He has played key roles in projects such as the Clinical Islet Transplantation Consortium, the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI), and the NIH-funded Fibromyalgia TENS in Physical Therapy Study (FM-TIPS). Dr. Lafontant’s research interests center on applying machine learning and causal inference to enhance the design, analysis, and interpretation of clinical research.