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Associate Professor, Department of Nutrition Sciences and Vice Chair for the Education Mission
Associate Scientist, Nutrition Obesity Research Center
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Department of Nutrition Science
1675 University Blvd
435 Webb Nutrition Sciences Building
Birmingham, AL 35294-3360
Phone: (205) 934-2029
Fax: (205) 934-7050
E-mail: jose@uab.edu
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Dr. José R. Fernández is an Associate Professor in the Division of Physiology and Metabolism of the Department of Nutrition Sciences at the University of Alabama in Birmingham with a secondary appointment in the Section of Statistical Genetics. Dr. Fernández obtained his Ph.D. in Biobehavioral Health from The Pennsylvania State University, training in 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 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 the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in August 2001, bringing special expertise in the application of statistical models to detect genetic influences in obesity-related traits.
Dr. Fernández ’ main research interest is the identification of genes that contribute to racial differences in obesity and diabetes. He uses the genetic admixture approach as a tool to decompose the genetic, social and cultural components underlying racial and ethnic differences. He is also interested on the application of methods for QTL mapping, the use of linear statistical models to (a) identify genes in the population (b) identify gene-gene interactions and (c) identify the interaction of genes and environment, and the use of statistical approaches to improve the identification of genes in the population.
Recent Publications
1. De Luca M, Moses-Chambers M, Casazza K, Lok KH, Hunter GR, Gower BA Fernández JR (2008) Genetic variation in a member of the laminin gene family affects variation in body composition in Drosophila and humans. BMC-Genetic, Aug 11; 9: 52.
2. Casazza K, Higgins PB, Fernández JR, Goran MI, Gower BA (2008) Longitudinal analysis of the insulin-like growth factor system in African American and European American children and adolescents. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. Sep 9 [Epub ahead of print]
3. Lara-Castro C, Doud EC, Tapia PC, Munoz AJ, Fernandez JR, Hunter GR, Gower BA, Garvey WT (2008) Adiponectin Multimers and Metabolic Syndrome Traits: Relative Adiponectin Resistance in African Americans. Obesity, Sep 25 [Epub ahead of print]
4. Higgins PB, Fernández JR, Garvey WT, Granger WM, Gower BA (2008) Entero-insular axis and postprandial insulin differences in African American and European American children. Am J Clin Nutr, 88(5):1277-83.
5. Casazza K, del Corral P, Thomas O, Dulin-Keita A, Gower BA, Fernández JR (2009) Characterization of the metabolic syndrome in a multi-ethnic sample of children: Is it useful? Open Obesity J, 1(1): 1-8.
6. Casazza K, Dulin-Keita A, PhD, Gower BA, Fernández, JR (2009). Differential influence of diet and physical activity on components of metabolic syndrome in a multiethnic sample of children. J Am Diet Assoc, 109(2):236-44.
7. Casazza K, Gower BA, Willig AL, Hunter G, Fernández JR. (2009) Physical Fitness, Activity, and Insulin Dynamics in Early Pubertal Children. Ped Ex Sci, 21(1)
8. Willig AL, Casazza K, Divers J, Bigham AW, Gower BA, Hunter GR, Fernandez JR (2009) Uncoupling protein 2 Ala55Val polymorphism is associated with a higher acute insulin response to glucose. Metabolism, 58(6):877-81.
9. Alvarez JA, Higgins PB, Oster RA, Fernández JR, Darnell BE, Gower BA (2009) Fasting and postprandial markers of inflammation in lean and overweight children. Am J clin Nutr, 89(4): 1138-44.
10. Casazza K, Phadke RP, Fernández JR, Watanabe RM, Goran MI, Gower BA (2009) Obesity Attenuates the Contribution of African Admixture to the Insulin Secretory Profile in Peripubertal Children: A Longitudinal Analysis. Obesity, 17 (7): 1318-25.
11. Casazza K, Dulin-Keita A, Gower BA, Fernández JR (2009) Relationships between reported macronutrient intake and insulin dynamics in a multi-ethnic cohort of early pubertal children Int J Ped Obes, 26: 1-8.
12. Casazza K, Gower BA, Willig AL, Hunter G, Fernández JR. (2009) Physical Fitness, Activity, and Insulin Dynamics in Early Pubertal Children. Ped Ex Sci; 21(1): 63-76.
13. Hunter, GR, Chandler-Laney PC, Brock DW, Lara-Castro C, Fernandez JR, Gower BA (2009) Fat distribution, aerobic fitness, blood lipids, and insulin sensitivity in African-American and European-American women. Obesity; [Epub ahead of print]
14. Dulin-Keita A, Casazza K, Thomas O, Fernández JR. (2009) Neighborhood Level Disadvantage is Associated with Reduced Dietary Quality in Children. J Am Diet Assoc. 109 (9): 1612-6.
15. Casazza K, Dulin-Keita A, Gower B, Fernandez JR (2009) Intrabdominal fat is related to metabolic risk factors in Hispanic Americans, African Americans and in girls. Acta Paediatr