Overview
Dr. Gonzalez is an Associate Professor in the Department of Population Health Sciences. He is an expert in the design of stated-preference survey instruments and the use of advanced statistical tools to analyze stated-preference data. His research has focused on the transparency in benefit-risk evaluations of medical interventions, and the elicitation of health preferences from multiple stakeholders to support shared decision making.
Dr. Gonzalez co-led the first FDA-sponsored preference study which was highlighted in FDA’s recent precedent-setting guidance for submitting patient-preference evidence to inform regulatory benefit-risk evaluations of new medical devices. More recently, Dr. Gonzalez collaborated with the Medical Devices Innovation Consortium (MDIC) to prepare the first catalog of preference-elicitation methods (part of the Patient-Centered Benefit-Risk Assessment Framework) suitable for benefit-risk assessments of medical devices. As a core group member of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) Conjoint Analysis Task Force, Dr. Gonzalez helped draft good-practice recommendations for statistical analysis, interpretation, and reporting of health preference data. Currently, he is working with the Center for Devices and Radiological Health at FDA to support the Center’s capabilities for the review of stated-preference data in regulatory decisions.
Areas of expertise: Clinical Decision Sciences and Health MeasurementCurrent Appointments & Affiliations
Recent Publications
Can LLMs Predict Patient Treatment Choices? A Discrete Choice Experiment Framework.
Journal Article Value Health · May 5, 2026 OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the viability of large-language-models (LLMs), specifically GPT-4, in predicting patient health preference-consistent choices using a discrete choice experiment (DCE) framework. METHODS: Synthetic data were generated from r ... Full text Link to item CiteCaution is needed for systematic reviews and interpretation of preference studies.
Journal Article J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol · February 11, 2026 Full text Link to item CiteWhat is the Consensus Value of Patients' Treatment-Risk Tolerance? Assessing a Stated-Preference Evidence Base for Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
Journal Article Value Health · February 3, 2026 OBJECTIVES: The study objectives were (1) to demonstrate the feasibility of constructing a stated-preference evidence base and its use to quantify patients' consensus risk tolerance for treatment efficacy and (2) to use the evidence base to inform a new, p ... Full text Link to item CiteRecent Grants
Quantifying Patient Preference Information in Small-Scale Studies for Regulatory Decision Making
ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by Food and Drug Administration · 2025 - 2028Harnessing the Power of Benefit-Transfer Methods for Informed Regulatory Decision-Making: A Case Study on Diabetes Medical Devices
ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by Food and Drug Administration · 2024 - 2028Preferences for Lung Cancer Therapies for Patients with Stage I-IIIB Lung Cancer
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by LUNGevity Foundation · 2024 - 2026View All Grants