Isabel D. Fernandez, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D.

Contact Information

Phone Numbers

Administrative: (585) 275-8784

Office: (585) 275-9554

Fax: (585) 461-4532

Locations

Public Health Sciences
265 Crittenden Blvd.
Rochester, NY 14642

Faculty Appointments

Associate Professor - Department of Public Health Sciences (SMD)
Associate Professor - Center for Community Health and Prevention - Joint

Biography

Research

Research: The epidemiology of growth and nutrition in children, particularly malnutrition and obesity in children and adolescents, assessment of nutritional status, and societal determinants of nutritional conditions. Dr. Fernandez is a nutritional epidemiologist interested in the two ends of the nutritional status continuum. She has examined the determinants of wasting and stunting in children in developing countries using data from the World Health Organization. Dr. Fernandez is currently focusing in weight gain prevention and obesity in the United States. In particular, Dr. Fernandez is interested in the synergism between individual nutrition and physical activity behaviors and the environment. She is currently conducting a group-randomized trial testing environmental interventions for worksite weight gain prevention and qualitative research on how the everyday life of low income families with school-age children influence the ability to make healthy nutrition and physical activity choices.

Credentials

Education

1981
MD | Buenos Aires National University
Medicine

1990
| Pan-American Health Organization
Health Services Administration

1994
MPH | School of Public Health University of Minnesota
Epidemiology

1999
PhD | University of Minnesota
Epidemiology

Awards

1998
Student Research Award
Sponsor: Division of Epidemiology, University of Minnesota
Location: Minneapolis, MN

1993
Indirect Recovery Funds Award
Sponsor: Division of Epidemiology, University of Minnesota
Location: Minneapolis, MN

1992
Predissertation Fieldwork Grant, MacArthur Interdisciplinary Program on Peace & International Cooperation
Sponsor: University of Minnesota
Location: Minneapolis, MN

1992
Alumni Association Fellowship
Sponsor: School of Public Health, University of Minnesota
Location: Minneapolis, MN

1984
XIV Latin-American Pediatrics Congress Fellowship
Sponsor: Cuban Government
Location: Havana, Cuba

1981
Honors Diploma
Sponsor: Medical School, National University of Buenos Aires
Location: Argentina

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Publications

Journal Articles

2023
Cartujano-Barrera F, Hernández-Torres R, Chávez-Iñiguez A, Fernandez ID, Rivera P, Cupertino AP. "Spanish Version of the Susceptibility to e-Cigarettes Scale among Latino Adolescents. Letter to the Editor". Tobacco Prevention & Cessation. 2023; .

2023
Murphy H, Dreisbach C, Kinkade CW; Brasich P, Wu Q, Meng Y, Thurston SW, Block RC, Fernandez ID, O'Connor TG, Barrett EM, Groth SW. "A Longitudinal cortisol patterns in pregnancy are associated with greater total gestational weight gain". Obesity. 2023; .

2023
Kautz, Meng Y, Yeh K-L, Peck R, Brunner2 J, Best M, Fernandez ID, Miller RK, Barrett EM, Groth SW, O'Connor TG. "Dietary Intake of Nutrients Involved in Serotonin and Melatonin Synthesis and Prenatal Maternal Sleep Quality and Affective Symptoms". Journal of Nutrition. 2023; .

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