Randy J. Nelson, PhD

Randy J. Nelson, PhD, studies sleep and circadian rhythms in health and illness. His lab is focused on the role of disrupted circadian rhythms on physiology and behavior and the effects 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. Nelson earned his AB and MA degrees in psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. He earned a PhD in psychology, and a second PhD in endocrinology, both from UC Berkeley. Nelson then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Texas at Austin, after which he joined the faculty at 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, during which time he served as Distinguished University Professor and chair of neuroscience, as well as the co-director of the Neurological Institute. Nelson was recruited to WVU in 2018 to serve as professor and inaugural chair in the new neuroscience department. In addition to his NIH funding, he is co-investigator of a $20 million NSF Track 1 award, “West Virginia Network for Functional Neuroscience and Transcriptomics.” He has directly mentored 25 PhD and 16 postdoctoral colleagues.