Bridget Fernandez

Dr. Bridget Fernandez is a Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California (USC), and Associate Director of Clinical Research at The Saban Research Institute, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. She holds an MD from Memorial University of Newfoundland and an MS in Clinical Epidemiology. Her career includes leadership roles such as Medical Director of Newfoundland’s Provincial Medical Genetic Program (over 20 years) and Chair of Memorial University’s Department of Human Genetics (2012–2020). She has also chaired Canada’s national Medical Genetics Examination Board and led the Canadian College of Medical Geneticists as its President.

Her research focuses on genomic studies in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), particularly in Hispanic populations, aiming to close knowledge gaps in genetic variation and clinical outcomes. She leads projects correlating genomic variants with ASD phenotypes and improving diagnostic methodologies through optical genome mapping and long-read sequencing. Dr. Fernandez has worked extensively with Canadian families and now focuses on Hispanic/Latinx cohorts in Los Angeles.

In grants and advising, she has managed large-scale genomic studies and collaborative projects like FORGE Canada Consortium. Her work bridges clinical practice and research, emphasizing ethical genomic testing and precision medicine. She contributes to initiatives like the Canadian Open Genetics Repository for variant interpretation.

Key professional roles include leadership in medical genetics education, policy development for genomic sequencing in Canada, and clinical program development. Her research integrates molecular genetics, epidemiology, and clinical outcomes to advance ASD understanding and care.