bio

Dr. Fernando Salinas-Quiroz, PhD (they/she/we, everything but he!), is an Assistant Professor in the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development at Tufts University. A transfemme, neuroqueer, and racialized Mexican immigrant, their identity profoundly informs their groundbreaking work in psychology, education, and transgender studies. Dr. Salinas-Quiroz also navigates the complexities of colorism, bringing unique insights into their research and practice.

She leads the 'Abby and Anna' Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) Research Group and serves as Associate Director of The SOGIE Health Equity Research Collaborative at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. As a Board Member and Director of Research at Trans formative Schools (TfS) in New York City, a National Researcher recognized by Mexico's National System of Researchers, and an Elected Member of the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth, their leadership extends across multiple organizations. Dr. Salinas-Quiroz was also named a 2025 Young Scholars Program recipient by the Foundation for Child Development, a highly competitive and prestigious award supporting groundbreaking research in child development.

Dr. Salinas-Quiroz has been internationally recognized as an invited speaker and conference participant. She has chaired PhD committees in various countries and served as a Vice President of the Inter-American Attachment Network (2018-2023). They currently serve as the elected Technical/Social Media Manager on the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) Latinx Caucus Steering Committee (2023-2025) and co-founded the SOGIE Caucus. Outside academia, she practices and facilitates Ashtanga yoga, dance, laughs, and strives to spread kindness and compassion.

expertise

Dr. Salinas-Quiroz has over 52 peer-reviewed publications with an h-index of 21, demonstrating significant contributions to psychology, education, and transgender studies.

Fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, and English, they prioritize linguistic justice in their work, with publications spanning five books and twelve book chapters. One of her books is Mexico City’s current early childhood education curriculum, showcasing research’s tangible impact on local communities. Their free eBook on PhD dissertation challenges achieved 242,128 downloads in its first month, reaching Spanish-speaking students across Latin America.

Her research includes reimagining Attachment Theory, pioneering studies on SOGIE-related parenting aspirations, and establishing criteria for nonbinary gender identification in young children. They explore the fluid nature of gender identity and expression, aiming to transferm schools, parenting, and decision-making processes to ensure equitable access to life-sustaining resources.

Notable projects include:

The first Latin American study on caregiver-child interactions in Mexican daycare settings using q-sort methodology.
Studies on the pedagogical impacts of legal protections for LGBTQ+ individuals across 14 Latin American countries and Portugal.
Groundbreaking work on how nonbinary children (ages 5–8) understand their gender identity and how parents learn to support them.

Dr. Salinas-Quiroz's work continues to inform global policy and inclusive practices, focusing on transferming childhood, parenting, and education for marginalized communities.

EDUCATION

Dr. Salinas-Quiroz earned a PhD in Psychology from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), receiving the prestigious "Alfonso Caso Medal" for most distinguished graduate and the National Award "Silvia Macotela" for best dissertation.

They also hold:

A Master's in Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy from the Mexican Psychoanalytic Association.
A Postgraduate Diploma in Parent-Infant Psychotherapy.
A B.A. in Clinical Psychology (summa cum laude) from the Ibero-American University.

During her tenure at the National Pedagogic University in Mexico City (2013–2021), she advanced from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor and then to Full Professor through early reviews, coordinating the Postgraduate Specialization in Comprehensive Sexuality Education and contributing to establishing the Master’s in Sexuality.

Their dedication to accessible scholarship and their pioneering studies continue to transferm multiple academic fields and influence policies worldwide.