Speaker Profile
Jose R. Fernandez

Jose R. Fernandez MA, PhD

Genetics, Behavioral Health
Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America

Connect with the speaker?

Dr. Jose R. Fernandez is a Professor and Vice Chair for Education in the Department of Nutrition Sciences. Dr. Fernández obtained his Ph.D. in Biobehavioral Health from Pennsylvania State University, training in the genetics of complex traits under the advisory of Dr. Gerald McClearn and working with the three most commonly used models for genetic research: fruit flies, mice, and humans.

He continued his academic training at the New York Obesity Research Center at Columbia University as a post-doctoral fellow focusing on the genetics of obesity, under the mentorship of Dr. David B. Allison, and receiving specialized training in statistical models to improve the identification of genetic and environmental influences on obesity-related characteristics. Dr. Fernández joined UAB in August 2001, bringing special expertise in the application of statistical models to detect and disentangle genetic and environmental influences in obesity-related traits.

Dr. Fernandez has also been actively involved in the training of pre- and post-doctoral scientists, serving as Associate Director for Education for the NORC Post-Doctoral T32 and as Associate Director for Curricular Education and Diversity Promotion for the Pre-Doctoral T32. He has been the recipient of many awards, including the UAB President’s Faculty Diversity Award (2007), the UAB Dean’s Award for Excellence in Mentoring (2010), the UAB School of Health Professions Joseph F Volker Outstanding Faculty Award (2012), and the inaugural recipient of the Shiriki Kumanyika’s Diversity Award by The Obesity Society (2015).
EVENTS & ACTIVITIES (Speaking, Spoken, and Authored)