Cristina Fernandez, MD

Pediatric Hospital Medicine
Pediatrics
Treats Children
Profile Headshot

Overview

About Cristina R. Fernandez, MD MPH

Dr. Fernandez is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center and cares for newborns in the Well Baby Nursery of the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian. Her innovative research focuses on the areas of food insecurity, diet-related disparities, and issues in development and health maintenance in vulnerable child populations. As an emerging investigator with burgeoning expertise in newborn care, Dr. Fernandez assists in coordination of clinical research initiatives with the newborn nursery population.

She received her MPH from the Yale School of Public Health, and her medical training at the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons. She subsequently completed her residency in pediatrics at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Irving Medical Center and a primary care research fellowship in community health at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

Academic Appointments

  • Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at CUMC

Hospital Affiliations

  • NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital
  • NewYork-Presbyterian / Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Languages

  • Spanish

Gender

  • Female

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Credentials & Experience

Education & Training

  • MPH, Yale School of Public Health
  • MD, 2011 Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
  • Internship: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center
  • Residency: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center

Committees, Societies, Councils

  • Fellow, American Academy of Pediatrics 2014-present
  • Academic Pediatric Association
  • National Hispanic Medical Association
  • Society for Pediatric Research, Junior Section

Board Certifications

  • Pediatrics

Honors & Awards

Arnold P. Gold Humanism Honor Society

American Academy of Pediatrics Chapter Special Achievement Award 2017

Research

Dr. Fernandez conducts innovative research in the areas of food insecurity, diet-related disparities, and morbidity of development, pain, health maintenance, and healthcare utilization in vulnerable child populations.

Research Interests

  • child growth
  • Early infant and child development
  • food insecurity
  • healthcare utilization
  • Health Disparities
  • Pain and Symptom Management
  • pediatric nutrition

Selected Publications

  1. Flores G, Mendoza FS, Fuentes-Afflick E, Mendoza JA, Pachter L, Espinoza J, Fernandez CR, Arnold D, Brown NM, Gonzalez KM, Lopez C, Owen MC, Parks KM, Reynolds KL, Russell CJ. Hot topics, urgent priorities, and ensuring success for racial/ethnic minority young investigators in academic pediatrics. International Journal for Equity in Health. 2016;15:201-11.
  2. Fernandez CR, Lucas R, Soto-Greene M, Sanchez JP. Introducing trainees to academic medicine career roles and responsibilities. MedEdPORTAL. 2017;13:10653. https://doi.org/10.15766/mep_2374-8265.10653.
  3. Fernandez CR, Yomogida M, Aratani Y, and Hernandez D. Dual Food and Energy Hardship and Child Behavior Problems. Academic Pediatrics. July 2018. doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2018.07.002.