Gerald Fischbach
Encyclopedia
Gerald D. Fischbach is an American neuroscientist
. He received his M.D. from the Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University in 1965 before beginning his research career at the National Institutes of Health
in 1966, where his research focused on the mechanisms of neuromuscular junctions. After his tenure at the National Institutes of Health, Fischbach was a professor at Harvard University Medical School from 1972-1981 and 1990-1998 and the University of Washington Medical School from 1981-1990. In 1998, he was named the director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
before becoming the Vice President and Dean of the Health and Biomedical Sciences, the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, and the Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at Columbia University
from 2001-2006. Gerald Fischbach currently serves as the scientific director overseeing the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative. Throughout Fischbach's career, much of his research has focused on the formation and function of the neuromuscular junction
, which stemmed from his innovative use of cell culture
to study synaptic mechanisms.
in Hamilton, NY, where he was a four-year recipient of the New York State Regents Scholarship. He graduated magna cum laude with high honors in mathematics receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics and Chemistry. Fischbach was also elected a member of Colgate University’s Phi Beta Kappa chapter in 1960. After graduating from Colgate University, Fischbach attended Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, where he was a recipient of the New York State Medical Scholarship from 1962 to 1965 and the Polk Award for Undergraduate Research in 1965, before graduating with his M.D. that same year. Additionally, Fischbach received an honorary masters degree from Harvard University in 1978 and an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Colgate University in 2003. After graduating medical school, Fischbach interned at the University of Washington
hospital in Seattle, Washington before beginning his research career at the National Institutes of Health in 1966.
Fischbach is married to Ruth L. Fischbach, who currently serves as a Professor of Bioethics in Psychiatry at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center. They have four children.
and muscle cell culture to study neuromuscular junctions. Fischbach used this technique to reconstruct neuromuscular junctions from dissociated spinal cord and muscle cells from chick embryos to show that functional synaptic connections reformed and were capable of sending spontaneous or induced action potentials. However, cultures containing isolated spinal cord cells were unable to send similar action potentials. This technique proved to be an important model for further studies to determine the essential mechanisms controlling neuromuscular junction development and maintenance. Towards the end of his tenure at the National Institutes of Health, Fischbach began to search for motor neuron molecules responsible for regulating the number of acetylcholine receptors on postsynaptic cells. This research project culminated in 1993 with the isolation of the ARIA
(acetylcholine receptor inducing activity) protein, which is responsible for stimulating the production of acetylcholine receptors in postsynaptic muscle tissue.
from 1990 to 1998. During his years as an associate professor, he researched the development of pre-cursor muscle cells, specifically the development of acetylcholine
receptors on embryonic chick pectoral muscles. Later on he continued his research on ARIA that he started at the National Institutes of Health, specifically focusing on the expression of the protein's isoforms and their effects on tyrosine kinases. In 1993, Fischbach was involved with the founding of the Mind, Brain, Behavior Institute. This inter-disciplinary program aims to research the different structures, evolution, and development of the nervous system in order to better understand human behavior.
of glutamate receptors in chicken spinal cord and rat hippocampal neurons. Using focal ionophoresis and pressure injections to apply glutamate and other agonists including NMDA
, AMPA
, and kainate to different regions of the neurons, he noticed that certain hot spots were desensitized more rapidly that other sites on the neuron. Fischbach and his collaborators hypothesized that these hot spots may be located at synapses between neurons, where clusters of glutamate receptors were present.
(NCI), and Richard Klausner, former director of the NCI. Fischbach left NINDS is 2001 when he was named Columbia University's Vice President for Health and Biomedical Sciences.
, the Joseph L. Mailman School of Public Health
, the School of Dental Medicine
, the College of Physicians and Surgeons, and the Audubon Business and Technology Center. The Audubon Center is the only research park that is affiliated with a university in New York City and holds the only incubator for business related to biotechnology.
The research Fischbach conducted at Columbia University stemmed from his previous work at Harvard University, University of Washington and with the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institute of Health. The specialized focus of his research was on the influence trophic factors could have on the survival of nerve cells and the efficiency of synapses. After his arrival to Columbia, Fischbach was focused on the expression of neuregulin
in regards to neuromuscular synapses, signaling pathways in the brain, transcription factors, as well as work on autism
.
The Simons Simplex Collection (SSC) is the name of the project designed to identify the genetic risk factors of autism that Fischbach has been working on. As of 2010, more than 2000 families have been assessed to see if correlations can be made between autism and genetics. The majority of the people that have been tested have moderate to severe autistic symptoms and do not display high levels of intellectual disability. With this data, the goal is to identify de novo genetic variants linked to a higher risk of autism.
have been cited over 10,000 times, giving him an h-index
of 57. Some selected publications are:
Neuroscientist
A neuroscientist is an individual who studies the scientific field of neuroscience or any of its related sub-fields...
. He received his M.D. from the Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University in 1965 before beginning his research career at the National Institutes of Health
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...
in 1966, where his research focused on the mechanisms of neuromuscular junctions. After his tenure at the National Institutes of Health, Fischbach was a professor at Harvard University Medical School from 1972-1981 and 1990-1998 and the University of Washington Medical School from 1981-1990. In 1998, he was named the director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke is a part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health . It conducts and funds research on brain and nervous system disorders and has a budget of just over US$1.5 billion...
before becoming the Vice President and Dean of the Health and Biomedical Sciences, the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, and the Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
from 2001-2006. Gerald Fischbach currently serves as the scientific director overseeing the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative. Throughout Fischbach's career, much of his research has focused on the formation and function of the neuromuscular junction
Neuromuscular junction
A neuromuscular junction is the synapse or junction of the axon terminal of a motor neuron with the motor end plate, the highly-excitable region of muscle fiber plasma membrane responsible for initiation of action potentials across the muscle's surface, ultimately causing the muscle to contract...
, which stemmed from his innovative use of cell culture
Cell culture
Cell culture is the complex process by which cells are grown under controlled conditions. In practice, the term "cell culture" has come to refer to the culturing of cells derived from singlecellular eukaryotes, especially animal cells. However, there are also cultures of plants, fungi and microbes,...
to study synaptic mechanisms.
Early life
Fischbach attended Colgate UniversityColgate University
Colgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York, USA. The school was founded in 1819 as a Baptist seminary and later became non-denominational. It is named for the Colgate family who greatly contributed to the university's endowment in the 19th century.Colgate has 52...
in Hamilton, NY, where he was a four-year recipient of the New York State Regents Scholarship. He graduated magna cum laude with high honors in mathematics receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics and Chemistry. Fischbach was also elected a member of Colgate University’s Phi Beta Kappa chapter in 1960. After graduating from Colgate University, Fischbach attended Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, where he was a recipient of the New York State Medical Scholarship from 1962 to 1965 and the Polk Award for Undergraduate Research in 1965, before graduating with his M.D. that same year. Additionally, Fischbach received an honorary masters degree from Harvard University in 1978 and an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Colgate University in 2003. After graduating medical school, Fischbach interned at the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
hospital in Seattle, Washington before beginning his research career at the National Institutes of Health in 1966.
Fischbach is married to Ruth L. Fischbach, who currently serves as a Professor of Bioethics in Psychiatry at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center. They have four children.
National Institutes of Health 1966-1973
Fischbach began his research career at the National Institutes of Health, where he served as a senior surgeon at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) before becoming a fellow at the National Institute of Child Health from 1966 to 1973. Much of Fischbach’s research concentrated on the mechanisms controlling action potentials and synapses, from which he pioneered the use of neuronNeuron
A neuron is an electrically excitable cell that processes and transmits information by electrical and chemical signaling. Chemical signaling occurs via synapses, specialized connections with other cells. Neurons connect to each other to form networks. Neurons are the core components of the nervous...
and muscle cell culture to study neuromuscular junctions. Fischbach used this technique to reconstruct neuromuscular junctions from dissociated spinal cord and muscle cells from chick embryos to show that functional synaptic connections reformed and were capable of sending spontaneous or induced action potentials. However, cultures containing isolated spinal cord cells were unable to send similar action potentials. This technique proved to be an important model for further studies to determine the essential mechanisms controlling neuromuscular junction development and maintenance. Towards the end of his tenure at the National Institutes of Health, Fischbach began to search for motor neuron molecules responsible for regulating the number of acetylcholine receptors on postsynaptic cells. This research project culminated in 1993 with the isolation of the ARIA
Aria
An aria in music was originally any expressive melody, usually, but not always, performed by a singer. The term is now used almost exclusively to describe a self-contained piece for one voice usually with orchestral accompaniment...
(acetylcholine receptor inducing activity) protein, which is responsible for stimulating the production of acetylcholine receptors in postsynaptic muscle tissue.
Harvard University 1973-1981, 1990-1998
After his time at the National Institutes of Health, Fischbach obtained a position as an associate professor at Harvard Medical School's Department of Pharmacology in 1973. By 1978 he obtained tenure and became a full fledged professor, and he taught there for three years. After a nine year stint at the University of Washington Medical School, he returned to Harvard to serve as the Nathan Marsh Pusey Professor of Neurobiology and Chairman of the Neurobiology Departments of both Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General HospitalMassachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital is a teaching hospital and biomedical research facility in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts...
from 1990 to 1998. During his years as an associate professor, he researched the development of pre-cursor muscle cells, specifically the development of acetylcholine
Acetylcholine
The chemical compound acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter in both the peripheral nervous system and central nervous system in many organisms including humans...
receptors on embryonic chick pectoral muscles. Later on he continued his research on ARIA that he started at the National Institutes of Health, specifically focusing on the expression of the protein's isoforms and their effects on tyrosine kinases. In 1993, Fischbach was involved with the founding of the Mind, Brain, Behavior Institute. This inter-disciplinary program aims to research the different structures, evolution, and development of the nervous system in order to better understand human behavior.
University of Washington 1981-1990
Gerald Fischbach spent nine years at the University of Washington Medical School, where he served as the Edison Professor of Neurobiology and Head of the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology. During his time at the University of Washington Medical School, Fischbach continued his work on the ARIA protein. When ARIA isolated from chick embryo brain was applied to chicken myotubes, which are developing chicken muscle fibers, it was shown to increase the rate of insertion of acetylcholine receptors into chicken myotube membranes. This indicated ARIA could play a role in acetylcholine receptor insertion in neuromuscular junctions. Additionally, it was demonstrated that ARIA stimulated the transcription of α acetylcholine receptor subunits leading to an increase in α subunit mRNA and precursors, but had no effect on the mRNA levels of the γ or δ acetylcholine receptor subunits. This indicated that the amount α acetylcholine receptor subunit limits the synthesis and subsequent insertion of acetylcholine receptors into chicken myotube membranes. In addition to his ARIA work, Fischbach also researched rapid desensitizationDesensitization
Desensitization can refer to:* Desensitization * Desensitization * Desensitization * Desensitization of explosives, see Phlegmatized...
of glutamate receptors in chicken spinal cord and rat hippocampal neurons. Using focal ionophoresis and pressure injections to apply glutamate and other agonists including NMDA
NMDA
N-Methyl-D-aspartic acid or N-Methyl-D-aspartate is an amino acid derivative which acts as a specific agonist at the NMDA receptor mimicking the action of glutamate, the neurotransmitter which normally acts at that receptor...
, AMPA
AMPA
AMPA is a compound that is a specific agonist for the AMPA receptor, where it mimics the effects of the neurotransmitter glutamate....
, and kainate to different regions of the neurons, he noticed that certain hot spots were desensitized more rapidly that other sites on the neuron. Fischbach and his collaborators hypothesized that these hot spots may be located at synapses between neurons, where clusters of glutamate receptors were present.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke 1998-2001
Fischbach returned to the NIH in 1998 when he was named director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), a division of the NIH that supports research on the brain and nervous system. While he was director, Fischbach oversaw a staff of more than 700 and an annual budget of about $800 million. This money was used to support research by private and public organizations across the country as well as scientists working in labs at NINDS. Fischbach accomplished many things while director of NINDS, one of which being helping to shape national policy on important neurological research issues. He received great praise for his time as director from both Harold Varmus, former director of the NIH and current director of the National Cancer InstituteNational Cancer Institute
The National Cancer Institute is part of the National Institutes of Health , which is one of 11 agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The NCI coordinates the U.S...
(NCI), and Richard Klausner, former director of the NCI. Fischbach left NINDS is 2001 when he was named Columbia University's Vice President for Health and Biomedical Sciences.
Columbia University 2001-2006
After serving as the Director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke at the National Institute of Health, Gerald Fischbach was selected as the Vice President and Dean of the Health and Biomedical Sciences, the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, and the Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at Columbia University in New York City. He served as the Dean for all three branches simultaneously. Fischbach was interviewed by the newspaper for Columbia University Health Sciences and saw the main mission of the medical school and university as lessening the impact and suffering of human disease. He stated that this required interdisciplinary and collaborative work with the other departments and resources at Columbia University. The Health and Biomedical Sciences division at Columbia University includes the School of NursingColumbia University School of Nursing
-History:The School of Nursing was founded in 1892 with Anna C. Maxwell serving as its first director. In 1956, the school became the first in the country to award a master's degree in a clinical nursing specialty....
, the Joseph L. Mailman School of Public Health
Columbia Mailman School of Public Health
The Columbia Mailman School of Public Health is one of the schools of Columbia University in New York City. It is one of the first schools of public health recognized by the Council on Education for Public Health and remains a leading academic and research institution. The beginnings of the school...
, the School of Dental Medicine
Columbia University College of Dental Medicine
The Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, often abbreviated CDM, is one of fourteen graduate and professional schools of Columbia University...
, the College of Physicians and Surgeons, and the Audubon Business and Technology Center. The Audubon Center is the only research park that is affiliated with a university in New York City and holds the only incubator for business related to biotechnology.
The research Fischbach conducted at Columbia University stemmed from his previous work at Harvard University, University of Washington and with the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institute of Health. The specialized focus of his research was on the influence trophic factors could have on the survival of nerve cells and the efficiency of synapses. After his arrival to Columbia, Fischbach was focused on the expression of neuregulin
Neuregulin
The Neuregulins are a family of four structurally-related proteins that are part of the EGF family of proteins. These proteins have been shown to have diverse functions in the development of the nervous system and play multiple essential roles in vertebrate embryogenesis including: cardiac...
in regards to neuromuscular synapses, signaling pathways in the brain, transcription factors, as well as work on autism
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
.
Simons Foundation 2006-Present
In 2006, Fischbach joined the Simons Foundation as the scientific director to oversee the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative. The Simons Foundation is a philanthropy founded by Jim Simons and his wife Marilyn, and has awarded $130 million for autism research as of 2008. As scientific director, Fischbach works cooperatively with mathematicians, engineers, chemists, and neuroscientists to try and understand autism more completely. One of the main projects Fischbach and his colleagues at the Simons Foundation are working on is trying to discover the genetic factors that increase the risk of autism. This was a cooperative effort by 100 researchers and 13 universities that involved interviewing and collecting blood samples from families. Another focus of the research he has overseen revolves around the neurobiology associated with the disease and how that can relate to finding a cure.The Simons Simplex Collection (SSC) is the name of the project designed to identify the genetic risk factors of autism that Fischbach has been working on. As of 2010, more than 2000 families have been assessed to see if correlations can be made between autism and genetics. The majority of the people that have been tested have moderate to severe autistic symptoms and do not display high levels of intellectual disability. With this data, the goal is to identify de novo genetic variants linked to a higher risk of autism.
Awards and honors
Fischbach has received the following awards:- 1960 Phi Beta Kappa (Colgate University)
- 1965 Polk Award for Undergraduate Research (Cornell University)
- 1975 Mathilde Solowey Award in Neuroscience (Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences: National Institute of Health)
- 1981 W. Alden Spencer Award (College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University)
- 1988-1990 McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience Senior Investigator Award
- 1998 Foundation Ipsen Neuronal Plasticity Prize
- 2000 Dr. Nathan Davis Award
- 2003 Parkinson’s Disease Foundation Honor for Contributions
- 2004 Maroon Citation (Colgate University)
- 1984 Elected to the National Academy of SciencesNational Academy of SciencesNational Academy of Sciences commonly refers to the academy in the United States of America.National Academy of Sciences may also refer to :* National Academy of Sciences of Argentina* Armenian National Academy of Sciences...
- 1988 Elected to the American Academy of Arts and SciencesAmerican Academy of Arts and SciencesThe American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
- 1990 Elected to the Institute of MedicineInstitute of MedicineThe Institute of Medicine is a not-for-profit, non-governmental American organization founded in 1970, under the congressional charter of the National Academy of Sciences...
- 1991 Elected to the European Academy of Sciences and ArtsEuropean Academy of Sciences and ArtsThe European Academy of Sciences and Arts was created in 1990 in Salzburg, Austria by heart surgeon Felix Unger of Salzburg; the cardinal archbishop of Vienna, Franz König; and the political scientist and philosopher Nikolaus Lobkowicz....
- 2003 Appointed to the Council for Foreign Relations
Selected publications
Fischbach has authored or co-authored over a hundred papers on his research work, which according to the Web of ScienceWeb of Science
ISI Web of Knowledge is an academic citation indexing and search service, which is combined with web linking and provided by Thomson Reuters. Web of Knowledge coverage encompasses the sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities. It provides bibliographic content and the tools to access, analyze,...
have been cited over 10,000 times, giving him an h-index
H-index
The h-index is an index that attempts to measure both the productivity and impact of the published work of a scientist or scholar. The index is based on the set of the scientist's most cited papers and the number of citations that they have received in other publications...
of 57. Some selected publications are:
- Mann MA, Knipe DM, Fischbach GD, Fields BN (2002). Type 3 reovirus neuroinvation after intramuscular inoculation: direct invasion of nerve terminals and age-dependent pathogenesis. VirologyVirology (journal)Virology is a peer-reviewed academic journal that covers basic research into viruses affecting animals, plants, bacteria and fungi, including their molecular biology, structure, assembly, pathogenesis, immunity and interactions with the host cell...
Nov 25:303(2):222-31. - Jacobson C, Duggan D, and Fischbach G, (2004) Neuregulin induces the expression of transcription factors and myosin heavy chains typical of muscle spindles in cultured human muscle. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 101(33): 12218-12223.
- Fischbach G, and Lord, C, (2010) The Simons Simplex Collection: A Resource for Identification of Autism Genetic Risk Factors. NeuronNeuron (journal)Neuron is a neuroscience scientific journal published by Cell Press. It has been in continuous publication since 1988....
68(2): 192-195.