Photo of { Maria E. Fields (Moreno-Fernandez), PhD}

Maria E. Fields (Moreno-Fernandez), PhD


  • Member, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition
  • Assistant Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics

About

BS: Microbiology and Bioanalysis, University of Antioquia, Colombia, 2006

PhD: Immunobiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 2014

PostDoc: Division of Immunobiology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 2022

Interests

Obesity; T2D; NAFLD

Interests

Immune regulation; inflammation; obesity; diabetes; liver disease; aging

Publications

B cells just got a workout. Moreno-Fernandez, ME; Divanovic, S. Cell. 2026; 189(11):3181-3183.

Ambient temperature regulates CD4+ T cell tonic T cell receptor signaling and responsiveness. Sawada, K; Eom, J; Mahoney-Sutherland, BA; Stankiewicz, TE; Oates, JR; Giles, DA; Alarcon, PC; Damen, MSMA; Cannata, A; Hargis, J; Hogan, SP; Salomonis, N; Moreno-Fernandez, ME; Divanovic, S. iScience. 2026; 29(5):115801.

Distinct inflammatory programming of thoracic cavity white adipose immune cells regulates influenza pathogenesis. Ulanowicz, CJ; Alarcon, PC; Damen, MSMA; Wayland, JL; Sawada, K; Eom, J; Stankiewicz, TE; Chung, H; Lampe, K; Szabo, S; Moreno-Fernandez, ME; Salomonis, N; Divanovic, S. Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2026.

Patient-derived colon epithelial organoids reveal lipid-related metabolic dysfunction in pediatric ulcerative colitis. Ojo, BA; Zhu, Y; Heo, L; Fox, SR; Qiao, Y; Waddell, A; Moreno-Fernandez, ME; Gibson, M; Tran, T; Dunn, AL; Divanovic, S; Dai, Y; De Jesus Perez, VA; Rosen, MJ. Nature Communications. 2025; 16(1):11026.

Maternal metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease during pregnancy and its impact on offspring steatosis. Klepper, CM; Trout, AT; Dong, S; Fei, L; Stankiewicz, TE; Wayland, J; Moreno-Fernandez, ME; Divanovic, S; Xanthakos, SA; Defranco, E; Woo, JG; Mouzaki, M. Clinical Nutrition ESPEN. 2025; 70:327-335.

A shift in PKM2 oligomeric state instructs adipocyte inflammatory potential. Damen, MS; Alarcon, PC; Chan, CC; Stankiewicz, TE; Chung, H; Sawada, K; Ulanowicz, CJ; Eom, J; Oates, JR; Wayland, JL; Helmrath, MA; Sanchez-Gurmaches, J; Moreno-Fernandez, ME; Divanovic, S. JCI Insight. 2025; 10(22).

990: DESCRIBING DISTINCT IMMUNOPROTEIN PATTERNS WITHIN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS FROM INITIAL ACUTE PANCREATITIS ATTACK THROUGH CHRONIC PANCREATITIS USING NULISA PROTEOMIC ASSAY REVEALS AN INCREASED EXPRESSION OF TRANCE. Farrell, PR; Lee, B; Ahmed, F; Moreno-Fernandez, ME; Gurria, J; Ollberding, N; Duan, Q; Garlapally, V; Christian, P; Gloyn, AL; Husain, SZ; Abu-El-Haija, M. Gastroenterology. 2025; 169(1):s-230-s-231.

Obesity Uncovers the Presence of Inflammatory Lung Macrophage Subsets With an Adipose Tissue Transcriptomic Signature in Influenza Virus Infection. Alarcon, PC; Ulanowicz, CJ; Damen, MSMA; Eom, J; Sawada, K; Chung, H; Alahakoon, T; Oates, JR; Wayland, JL; Stankiewicz, TE; Moreno-Fernandez, ME; Zacharias, WJ; Salomonis, N; Divanovic, S. Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2025; 231(2):e317-e327.

Presurgery health influences outcomes following vertical sleeve gastrectomy in adolescents. Swertfeger, D; Kim, A; Sexmith, H; Moreno-Fernandez, ME; Davidson, WS; Helmrath, M; Jenkins, T; Okura, T; Geh, E; Xanthakos, SA; Szabo, S; Nakamura, T; Divanovic, S; Shah, AS. Obesity. 2024; 32(6):1187-1197.

Obesity amplifies influenza virus-driven disease severity in male and female mice. Alarcon, PC; Damen, MSMA; Ulanowicz, CJ; Sawada, K; Oates, JR; Toth, A; Wayland, JL; Chung, H; Stankiewicz, TE; Moreno-Fernandez, ME; Szabo, S; Zacharias, WJ; Divanovic, S. Mucosal Immunology. 2023; 16(6):843-858.