Fabian-Xosé Fernandez

Associate Professor, Cognition & Neural Systems
Director, Circadian Trends Laboratory
Fernandez Headshot

Psychology 507 (Office)
Life Sciences North 318 (Lab)

520-626-2489
fabianf@arizona.edu
Pronouns:
He, Him, His

Research Interests: 

  • Establishing the logic used by the circadian pacemaker to interpret multidimensional light patterns
  • Understanding the psychology associated with nighttime wakefulness and its role in suicide risk
  • Identifying and understanding the significance of circadian fluctuations in real-world data
  • Analysis of important topics in sleep and circadian science

Updated: 09/22/22

Selected Publications: 

  • Grandner M.A. and Fernandez F-X. (2021). The translational neuroscience of sleep: A contextual framework, Science, 374, 568-573.  PMID: 34709899
  • Tubbs A.S., Perlis M.L., Basner M., Chakravorty S., Khader W., Fernandez F., and Grandner M.A. (2020). Relationship of nocturnal wakefulness to suicide risk across months and methods of suicide. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 81, 19m12964.  PMID: 32097547
  • Kaladchibachi S., Negelspach D.C., Zeitzer J.M., and Fernandez F. (2019) Optimization of circadian responses with shorter and shorter millisecond flashes. Biology Letters (Royal Society Publishing),15, 20190371.  PMID: 31387472
  • Negelspach D.C., Kaladchibachi S., and Fernandez F. (2018). The circadian activity rhythm is reset by nanowatt pulses of ultraviolet light. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences, 285, 1884.  PMID: 30068685
  • Fernandez F., Lu D., Ha P., Costacurta P., Heller H.C., and Ruby N.F. (2014). Dysrhythmia in the suprachiasmatic nucleus inhibits memory processing. Science, 346, 854-857.  PMID: 25395537
  • Fernandez F., Morishita W., Zuniga E., Nguyen J., Blank M., Malenka R.C., and Garner C.C. (2007). Pharmacotherapy for cognitive impairment in a mouse model of Down syndrome. Nature Neuroscience, 10, 411-413.  PMID: 17322876

Courses Taught:

  • PSY 302 - Introduction to Biopsychology (2016)
  • PSY 350 - Sleep/Wake, Time Cycles, & Life (2023)
  • PSY 478 - Sleep & Sleep Disorders (2025)
  • PSY 578 - Sleep & Sleep Disorders (2024)
  • PSY 596F - Sleep, Circadian Rhythms, & Neurodegeneration (2019)

*Year listed indicates when this individual last taught the specified course.

Updated: 06/24/25

Degrees

  • B.Sc. Interdisciplinary Studies in Neurobiological Sciences, University of Florida (Graduated Summa cum laude)
  • Ph.D. Neurosciences, Stanford University