Associate Professor of Psychobiology in the Department of Psychology at the Universidade da Coruña (UDC). With a PhD in Biology (Cum Laude, 1995), my research career focuses on the biological bases of gender identity, developmental neurobiology and Turner syndrome.

Principal Investigator of the consolidated DICOMOSA research group and affiliated with the INIBIC (Biomedical Research Institute of A Coruña) and the CICA (Interdisciplinary Centre for Chemistry and Biology).

Recognised as an expert in Gender Dysphoria by PubMed Experts (top 2% of scholars worldwide over the last 10 years). Member of the Panel of Experts of the Spanish State Research Agency. H-index >18 in Web of Science.

Indicators

Research six-year periods (sexenios)	5 (1993-2022)
Teaching five-year periods (quinquenios)	6 (all positive)
JCR articles	37
Books	6 + 10 chapters
Supervised theses	4 (all Cum Laude)
R&D projects	24
DOCENTIA	Excellent (2018-2023)

Research Lines

• Genetic and epigenetic bases of gender incongruence
• Effects of gender-affirming hormone treatment on the brain
• DNA methylation and gene expression in the transgender population
• Neurobiology of child abandonment and maltreatment
• Genetics of Turner syndrome and chromosomal mosaicism

Latest Publications (2024-2025)

• 2025 — Zubiaurre-Elorza L, Uribe C, Marcos A, Fernández R, et al. The Effects of Feminization Hormone Therapy on the Brain of Transgender Women. J Neuroendocrinol. IF: 4.11 Q1 DOI
• 2025 — Burke SM, Fernández R (Eds). New Advances in Biomedical Research on Sex, Gender, and Gender Incongruence. Front Endocrinol. IF: 4.39 Q1 DOI
• 2024 — Fernández R, Ramírez K, et al. Analysis of SNPs of metabotropic glutamate receptors in a transgender population. Front Endocrinol. IF: 4.39 Q1 DOI

→ View all publications (37 JCR articles)

Books

📘 EL TRAUMA QUE NO SE VE (2026) — El Hilo Ediciones. How to support adolescents with histories of early trauma. 🛒 €21.00

📘 WHY IS IT SO HARD FOR MY CHILDREN TO LEARN? (2017) — El Hilo Ediciones. Between hippocampi and neurogenesis. 🛒 €12.00

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Download full curriculum vitae in PDF (57 pages, updated November 2025)