Randy J. Nelson

Randy J Nelson

Professor and Chair, Department of Neuroscience,

Hazel Ruby McQuain Chair for Neurological Research,

Executive Director, WVU Center for Foundational Neuroscience Research and Education, Director of Basic Research, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute.

Nelson studies sleep and circadian rhythms in health and illness. For the past 15 years, his lab has focused on the role of disrupted circadian rhythms on physiology and behavior. He studies the effects of these disrupted circadian rhythms on several parameters including immune function, neuroinflammation, metabolism, sleep, and mood. He has published nearly 500 papers and more than 12 books during his career.

Dr. Nelson earned his AB and MA degrees in Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. He earned a PhD in Psychology, as well as a second PhD in Endocrinology, both from UC Berkeley; he was the first in the US to simultaneously earn two PhDs. Dr. Nelson then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Texas, Austin, after which he joined the faculty at The Johns Hopkins University, where he was professor of Psychology, Neuroscience, Biochemistry, and Molecular Biology. He then served on the faculty at The Ohio State University from 2000 - 2018, during which time he served as Distinguished University Professor and Chair of Neuroscience, as well as the co-director of the Neurological Institute. Dr. Nelson was recruited to WVU in 2018 to serve as professor and inaugural chair in the new Department of Neuroscience. In addition to his NIH funding, he is Co-I of the NSF Track 1 award, ‘West Virginia Network for Functional Neuroscience and Transcriptomics’.

He has been primary mentor to >25 PhD students and >15 postdoctoral researchers. He is the author of ~500 scientific papers and more than a dozen books.