Déborah Martínez Villarreal, PhD

Behavioral Economist

Applying behavioral science and quantitative research to create evidence-based recommendations in various areas of development around the globe, especially related to health and environmental behaviors.

Behavioral Methods

Behavioral Diagnosis

Collaborating with clients to create data collection tools and exploring the question of why isn't the target population engaging in actions that would benefit them.

Behavioral Design

Leading teams in human-centered design activities to craft innovative behavioral solutions for nudging the target population towards desired behaviors.

This is where we unleash our creativity!

Experimental Design

Designing experiments to test and evaluate the impact of behavioral designs. Leveraging education and hands-on experience in formulating robust testing protocols and conducting comprehensive assessments for diverse institutions.

Strategy

Offering strategic advisory for behavioral change initiatives ranging from strategic partnership development and detailed project management to implementation at scale.

About

Services

Governments, organizations, and consulting firms looking to improve their strategies and achieve better development outcomes can rely on evidence-based approaches and practical solutions based on behavioral science.

Visit www.bemethods.com to learn more about my behavioral science consulting firm, Behavioral Methods LLC.

Relevant Work Experience

Behavioral Economist and Founder, Behavioral Methods LLC
Lead behavioral science engagements in global health and development, including behavioral diagnosis, intervention design, experimental and implementation evaluation, and strategies for scale. Translate findings into academic papers, policy products, and practical implementation guidance.

Senior Behavioral Science Consultant, American Cancer Society
Lead behavioral science strategy for HPV vaccination initiatives; build partnerships with government and civil-society stakeholders; train implementation partners; and translate evidence into practical guidance, reports, and academic publications.

Behavioral Economics Technical Advisor, FHI 360
Applied behavioral science and quantitative methods to global health and development programs, collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to diagnose behavioral barriers, design interventions, and generate actionable evidence.

Behavioral Economics Consultant, Merck
Provided strategic guidance on HPV vaccination mobilization in Latin America, including implementation research, study and data-collection design, partnership development, analysis, and reporting.

Senior Behavioral Economics Fellow, Inter-American Development Bank
Led behavioral science projects across health, gender, agriculture, digital platforms, water and sanitation, and small-enterprise development in Latin America. Designed and evaluated interventions, managed institutional partnerships, produced policy and academic publications, and delivered behavioral science training.

Senior Associate, ideas42
Applied behavioral science and human-centered design to charitable giving and financial health, including behavioral diagnosis, intervention design, experimentation, and partner management.

Selected Advisory and Consulting Roles
Designed behavioral frameworks, experiments, training materials, and communication strategies for the World Bank, MAGENTA, and Pacífico Communications, and Firsthand, addressing challenges related to vaccination, nutrition, tax compliance, sanitation, disaster reporting, and sustainable development.

Research Assistant, Interdisciplinary Center for Economic Science, George Mason University
Supported laboratory and field research in behavioral economics on happiness, competition, and charitable giving.

Skills

Experimental design, evaluation, project management, training/teaching behavioral economics, technical writing, strategic planning, and strategic partnerships. Proficiency in STATA.

Spanish (native), English (fluent)

Education

Doctorate of Philosophy, Economics, George Mason University

Masters in Economics, George Mason University

Bachelor of Business Administration, Economics and Finance and minor in Mathematics, University of Texas at El Paso

Publications

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

Díaz, Lina, Karina Márquez, Deborah Martinez Villarreal, and Carlos Scartascini. 2025. “Combating Vaccine Hesitancy: The Case of HPV Vaccination.” Social Science & Medicine. doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118081.

Khalil, Elias L., Jason A. Aimone, Daniel Houser, Siyu Wang, Deborah Martinez, and Kun Qian. 2021. “The Aspirational Income Hypothesis: On the Limits of the Relative Income Hypothesis.” Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization 182: 229–247. doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2020.12.003.

Martinez Villarreal, Deborah, Cristina Parilli, Ana María Rojas Méndez, and Alberto Simpser. 2021. “Do You Have COVID-19? How to Increase the Use of Diagnostic and Contact Tracing Apps.” PLOS ONE 16 (7): e0253490. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0253490.

Martinez Villarreal, Deborah, Cristina Parilli, Carlos Scartascini, and Alberto Simpser. 2021. “Let’s (Not) Get Together! The Role of Social Norms on Social Distancing During COVID-19.” PLOS ONE 16 (3): e0247454. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0247454.

Ashby, Nathan J., Avilia Bueno, and Deborah Martinez Villarreal. 2013. “Economic Freedom and Economic Development in the Mexican States.” Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy 43 (1). doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.243945.

Ashby, Nathan J., Avilia Bueno, and Deborah Martinez Villarreal. 2012. “The Determinants of Immigration from Mexico to the United States: A State-to-State Analysis.” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 38 (4): 638–641. doi.org/10.1080/13504851.2012.727964.

Manuscripts in Preparation

Maldonado, Stanislao, Deborah Martinez Villarreal, and Lina Díaz. “Building a Shield Together: Addressing Low Vaccine Uptake Against Cancer Through Social Norms.” Submitted to Journal of Health Economics.

Martinez Villarreal, Deborah, Mónica Giraldo Castaño, Sebastián Ariza Abril, Benjamin Zvi Kahn, María Eugenia Pérez, Amanda Martino, and Marcie Fisher-Borne. “Gender-Neutral HPV Vaccination in Colombia: A Qualitative Study of Behavioral Barriers Among Parents of Unvaccinated Boys.” Manuscript in preparation.

Martinez Villarreal, Deborah, Julián Peña Duarte, Benjamin Zvi Kahn, María Eugenia Pérez, Amanda Martino, and Marcie Fisher-Borne. “Behavioral Messages to Promote Gender-Neutral HPV Vaccination: Secondary Analysis of a Large Randomized Controlled Trial in Colombia.” Manuscript in preparation.

Maldonado, Stanislao, Déborah Martínez Villarreal, Lina Díaz, Karina Márquez, and Carlos Scartascini. “What Convinces Parents to Vaccinate? A Field Experiment on HPV Uptake in Colombia.” Manuscript in preparation.

Working Papers, Technical Notes, and Policy Reports

Martinez Villarreal, Deborah, Ana María Rojas Méndez, Carlos Scartascini, and Alberto Simpser. 2024. The Central Role of Social Dynamics in Nudging Social Norms for Collective Health. Inter-American Development Bank Working Paper IDB-WP-1548. doi.org/10.18235/0012857.

Díaz, Lina, Deborah Martinez Villarreal, Carlos Scartascini, and Colombe Ladreit. 2024. Lowering Businesses’ Carbon Footprint: Adoption of Eco-Efficiency Indicators in Colombia and Peru. Inter-American Development Bank Monograph IDB-MG-1189. doi.org/10.18235/0012905.

Agurto, Marcos, Adans Bremeo, Deborah Martinez Villarreal, Ricardo Peñaherrera León, Lina Salazar, and Hori Tsuneki. 2024. Mejora de la Eficiencia de los Sistemas de Alerta Temprana Utilizando Ciencias del Comportamiento. Inter-American Development Bank Technical Note No. 2950. doi.org/10.18235/0013041.

Martinez Villarreal, Deborah, Lina Díaz, and Stanislao Maldonado. 2023. Nudging the Trendsetters: Increasing Second-Dose HPV Vaccination in Bogotá, Colombia. Inter-American Development Bank Working Paper IDB-WP-1547. doi.org/10.18235/0005331.

Martinez Villarreal, Deborah, and Lina M. Díaz. 2022. Behavioral Economics Toolkit: The Case of HPV Vaccination in Colombia. Inter-American Development Bank. doi.org/10.18235/0004610.

Martinez Villarreal, Deborah, Ana María Rojas Méndez, and Carlos Scartascini. 2020. Behavioral Economics Can Help Fight Coronavirus. Inter-American Development Bank Policy Brief IDB-PB-334. doi.org/10.18235/0002315.

Books and Book Chapters

Martinez Villarreal, Deborah, Meenu Anand, Lina Díaz, Stanislao Maldonado, and Carlos Scartascini. 2026. “From Hesitancy to Uptake: Behavioral Economics Solutions to Increase Human Papillomavirus Vaccination in Colombia.” In Behavioral Economics: Real-World Case Studies, 31–62. Aranzadi La Ley. www.aranzadilaley.es/MK/PDF/Behavioral-economics-real-world-case-studies/publication.pdf

Scartascini, Carlos, and Deborah Martinez Villarreal. 2023. “Improving Lives in Latin America and the Caribbean.” In Behavioral Public Policy in a Global Context, edited by Michael Sanders, Syon Bhanot, and Shibeal O’Flaherty. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan. doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-31509-1_12.

Scartascini, Carlos, Deborah Martinez Villarreal, and Cristina Parilli. 2023. “Bridging and Expanding Behavioral Science Channels.” In Behavioral Science for Development: Insights and Strategies for Global Impact, edited by Luis Atravia-Mora and Zarak Khan. Bescy Publishing.

Ashby, Nathan, Deborah Martinez Villarreal, and Avilia Bueno. 2012. “Economic Freedom of the Mexican States in 2010.” In Economic Freedom of North America 2012, 37–50. Fraser Institute.

Ashby, Nathan, Deborah Martinez Villarreal, and Avilia Bueno. 2010. “Economic Freedom in Mexico 2010.” In Economic Freedom of North America 2010, 83–95. Fraser Institute.

Doctoral Dissertation

Martinez Villarreal, Deborah. 2023. Nudging Vaccination in Latin America: Insights from Three Field Experiments in Behavioral Economics. PhD dissertation, George Mason University. www.bemethods.com/Nudging_Vaccination_in_LatinAmerica.pdf

Presentations

deborah@bemethods.com

Academic Conference Presentations

Martínez Villarreal, Déborah, Julián Peña, Benjamin Zvi Kahn, Amanda Martino, and Marcie Fisher-Borne. 2026. “Behaviorally Informed Messages to Promote Gender-Neutral HPV Vaccination: Secondary Analysis of a Large Randomized Controlled Trial in Colombia.” Paper presented at the Advances with Field Experiments Conference, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, September 18.

Martínez Villarreal, Déborah. 2026. “Designing a Behavioral Science-Informed Learning Series.” Presented at the 14th Annual Symposium on Global Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, virtual, September 16.

Martínez Villarreal, Déborah, Julián Peña, Benjamin Zvi Kahn, Amanda Martino, and Marcie Fisher-Borne. 2026. “Behaviorally Informed Text Messages to Boost Gender-Neutral HPV Vaccination: A Secondary Data Review of a Large-Scale RCT in Colombia.” Paper presented at the EUROGIN International Multidisciplinary HPV Congress, Vienna, Austria, March.

Martínez Villarreal, Déborah, Andrea Romero García, Marcela Forero, Diana Ramírez Peña, Jeimy Alzate Hernández, Sara Comstock, Nina DaSilva Batista, Meenu Anand, Stanislao Maldonado, Carlos Scartascini, Lina Díaz, and Karina Márquez. 2025. “Increasing HPV Vaccination in Colombia: From Experimental Evidence to National Implementation.” Presented at the International Papillomavirus Society (IPVS) Conference, Bangkok, Thailand, October.

Martínez Villarreal, Déborah, Stanislao Maldonado, Lina Díaz, Meenu Anand, and Carlos Scartascini. 2024. “Multi-Sector Partnerships to Accelerate HPV Vaccination: Scaling Behaviorally Tested Messages to Address Vaccine Trust in Colombia.” Paper presented at the EUROGIN International Multidisciplinary HPV Congress, Stockholm, Sweden, March.

Maldonado, Stanislao, Déborah Martínez Villarreal, and Lina Díaz. 2023. “Leveraging the Trend: Dynamic Norms Increase Vaccinations in a Minority Norm Scenario.” Paper presented at the International Economic Association (IEA) and Universidad EAFIT, Medellín, Colombia, December.

Martínez Villarreal, Déborah, Stanislao Maldonado, and Lina Díaz. 2023. “Leveraging the Trend: Dynamic Norms Increase Vaccinations in a Minority Norm Scenario.” Paper presented at Advances with Field Experiments (AFE), University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, September.

Martínez Villarreal, Déborah, Stanislao Maldonado, and Lina Díaz. 2023. “Leveraging the Trend: Dynamic Norms Increase Vaccinations.” Paper presented at the Second International Behavioral Public Policy Conference, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, September.

Maldonado, Stanislao, Déborah Martínez Villarreal, and Lina Díaz. 2023. “Leveraging the Trend: Dynamic Norms Increase Vaccinations in a Minority Norm Scenario.” Paper presented at the 5th LACEA BRAIN Conference, Montevideo, Uruguay, May.

Martínez Villarreal, Déborah, Meenu Anand, and Marcie Fisher-Borne. 2023. “Increasing HPV Vaccination in Colombia with Low-Cost Behavioral Science Interventions.” Poster presented at the International Papillomavirus Society (IPVS) Conference, Washington, DC, April.

Invited Academic Talks & Seminars

Martínez Villarreal, Déborah. 2026. “Educar y proteger: El rol del personal de salud en la prevención del VPH.” Webinar, VPH: Transformar la prevención desde la atención primaria, Infectoweb, September 22.

Martínez Villarreal, Déborah. 2026. “Behavioral Science and the Role of Communication in HPV Vaccination Implementation.” Presentation at the LATAM HPV Summit, São Paulo, Brazil, August 15.

Martínez Villarreal, Déborah. 2026. “Salud Pública y Ciencias del Comportamiento.” Invited talk, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia, virtual, April 9.

Martínez Villarreal, Déborah. 2025. “La última milla de la política pública: de la buena intención al verdadero impacto.” Paper presented at the Congreso Internacional y Nacional de Cáncer, Senado de la República, Colombia, May.

Martínez Villarreal, Déborah. 2024. “Designing Behavioral Interventions: Cervical Cancer Elimination.” Presented at the Network Dialogue Series: Facilitated Discussions on Critical Issues for Cervical Cancer Elimination, virtual, May.

Martínez Villarreal, Déborah, Stanislao Maldonado, and Lina Díaz. 2023. “Nudging Vaccination in Latin America: Insights from Field Experiments.” Invited talk, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Population Sciences and Behavioral Design Speaker Series, Cedars-Sinai, virtual, November.

Martínez Villarreal, Déborah, and Lina Díaz. 2022. “A Behavioral Economics Toolkit: The Case of HPV Vaccinations in Colombia.” Invited presentation at the Seminario de Investigación en Ciencias del Comportamiento, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, virtual, December.

Martínez Villarreal, Déborah, and Lina Díaz. 2022. “A Behavioral Economics Toolkit: The Case of HPV Vaccinations in Colombia.” Presentation to the Master of Behavioral and Decision Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, September.

Martínez Villarreal, Déborah. 2021. “¿Cómo informar las comunicaciones con la Ciencia del Comportamiento?” Presentation to the Ministerio de Tecnologías de la Información y Comunicación de Paraguay, virtual, November.

Martínez Villarreal, Déborah. 2020. “Behavioral Science Methodologies.” Presentation at the Clase Especial para Líderes de Grupos Estudiantiles, Universidad Anáhuac, virtual, July.

Faculty Roles

Martínez Villarreal, Déborah. 2025–2026. Faculty, CCAE HPV Vaccination Virtual Learning Series, Cancer Research UK (CRUK) and American Cancer Society, virtual.

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