Leslie Hazel-Fernandez

Leslie Hazel-Fernandez, PhD, MPH
Project Manager Health Behavior Laboratory
University of Miami-Humana Health Services Research Center

Trained in clinical psychology and public health, Dr Hazel-Fernandez has been involved in health research and clinical work since 1994.  She was born in Trinidad and Tobago and later migrated to the USA with her family.  From an early age, she developed an interest in the effects of culture, ethnicity, and family environment on a person’s hardiness or vulnerability to mental and physical problems.

After completing her PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Rochester, she received a National Research Service Award fellowship to engage in preventive cardiology research.  During the fellowship, she completed a Masters degree in Public Health at the University of Rochester, where she was an investigator on studies of cardiovascular disease risk and immigrant health concerns.

Before coming to Humana and the University of Miami-Humana HSRC, Dr Hazel-Fernandez worked as a part-time faculty member in clinical psychology and performed clinical and research work for a behavioral intervention to improve functioning and in older adults with visual impairments.  She became interested in the Health Behavior Laboratory of the Health Services Research Center (HSRC) because of its focus on the study of risk and resilience factors associated with chronic disease. 

Dr Hazel-Fernandez works as a project manager in the Health Behavior Laboratory of the HSRC.  Her primary interests include buffers and stressors in heart disease and diabetes, reducing disparities in health, and the relationships between depressive symptoms and chronic disease. 

Dr Hazel-Fernandez enjoys hiking, dancing, classical guitar, and spending time with her friends and family.