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Wayne State University School of Medicine

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Robert P. Lisak
Title
Parker Webber Chair in Neurology, Professor of Neurology; Professor of Immunology and Microbiology
Phone
 
Email
rlisak@med.wayne.edu; aa1704@wayne.edu
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Robert P. Lisak, M.D., FAAN, FRCP  served as Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurology as well Neurologist-in-Chief of the Detroit Medical Center from 1987-2011. He previously was a member of the Department of Neurology, the Graduate Group in Immunology and an Associate Member of the Neuroscience Institute at the University of Pennsylvania, where he also served as Vice-Chair of Neurology. Having served on multiple editorial boards, Dr. Lisak is the Editor of the Journal of the Neurological Sciences, the journal of the World Federation of Neurology.

Dr. Lisak’s research and clinical interests are in autoimmune/immunological mediated diseases of the nervous system including multiple sclerosis and related disorders, myasthenia gravis, inflammatory neuropathies including Guillain-Barre syndrome and chronic inflammatory demyelinating neuropathies, inflammatory myopathies, CNS vasculitis and neurological complications of system autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosis, Sjogren’s syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, mixed connective tissue disease and others. His research studies include basic science, clinical research including treatment trials and translational research. Over the years his work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the Guillain-Barre Syndrome/CIDP Foundation, the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America as well as by philanthropy and pharmaceutical companies.

Undergraduate
University College of Arts and Sciences, New York University, BA cum laude, with highest honors in history, 1961
Medical

College of Physicans & Surgeons, Columbia University, M.D.,1965

Internship
Montefiore Hospital and Medical Center, Bronx, NY, 1965-1966
Residency
Bronx Municipal Hospital Center (Internal Medicine), 1968-1969; Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (Neurology), 1969-1972
Fellowships
University College London and National Institute for Neurologic Diseases, London, UK, 1978-1979 (Fulbright Senior Scholar); Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, (Allergy and Immunology), Philadelphia, PA, 1971-1972; National Institute of Mental Health (Neurochemistry/Neuroimmunology), 1966-1968
Prior Appointments

University of Pennsylvania, 1972-1987

Interests

Multiple Sclerosis and related diseases, Myasthenia Gravis, inflammatory demyelinating neuropathies, inflammatory myopathies, neurologic complications of collagen-vascular diseases, vasculitis

Publications

See a Full Listing of Dr. Lisak's PubMed Articles

Ragheb, S, Mohamed, M, Lisak, RP.   Myasthenia gravis patients, but not healthy subjects, recognize epitopes that are unique to the e -subunit of the acetylcholine receptor. J Neuroimmunology 159: 137-145, 2005

Lisak, RP, Benjamins, JA, Bealmear, B, Yao, B, Land, S, Skundric, D. Differential effects of Th1, monocyte/macrophage and Th2 cytokine mixtures on early gene expression for immune-related molecules by central nervous system mixed gial cell cultures. Mult Scl 12:149-168, 2006

Lisak, RP, Bealmear, B, Benjamins, JA. Secretory products of central nervous system glial cells induce Schwann cell proliferation and protect from cytokine-mediated death. J Neurosci Res 83: 1425-1431, 2006

Ford, CC, Johnson, KP, Lisak, RP, Panitch, HS, Shifroni, G, Wolinsky, JS and The CopaxoneR  Study Group. A prospective open-label study of glatiramer acetate: over a decade of continous use in multiple sclerosis patients. Mult Scler 12:309-320, 2006

Lisak, RP, Benjamins, JA, Bealmear, B, Nedelkoska, L, Yao, B, Land, S, Studzinski, D. Differential effects of Th1, monocyte/macrophage and Th2 cytokine mixtures on early gene expression for glial and neuronal-related molecules in central nervous system mixed glial cell cultures: neurotrophins, growth factors and structural proteins. J Neuroinflammation, 4:30, 2007

Jani-Acsadi, A Lisak, RP. Myasthenic crisis: Guidelines for prevention and treatment. J Neurol Sci 261:127-133, 2007.

Lisak, RP Neurodegeneration in multiple sclerosis. Defining the problem. Neurology 68 (Suppl 3): S5-S12, 2007

Lisak, RP, Benajmins, JA. Effects of cytokines and chemokines in Schwann cells: The neuroimmunology of Schwann cells, in Armati, P (ed) The Schwann Cell: An Extraordinary Tale, Cambridge Press, Cambridge, UK, 2007, pp 100-118.

Goodman, AD, Rossman, H, Bar-Or, A, Moiller, A, Miller, DH, Schmierer, K, Lublin, F, Khan, O, Bormann, NM, Yang, M, Panzara, Sandrock, AW and For the GLANCE Investigators (Lisak, RP investigator). GLANCE: Results of a phase 2, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, Neurology 72:806-812, 2009
 
 
 
 
 
Ryan, KA, Rapport, LJ, Telmet Harper, K, Fuerst, D, Bielauskas, L, Khan, O, Lisak, R. Fitness to drive in multiple sclerosis: Awareness of
deficit moderates risk. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 31:126-139, 2009.
 
Lisak, RP (Book Review) “The Legacy of Tracy J Putnam and H. Houson Merritt: Modern Neurology in the United States” by Lewis P Rowland, Oxford University press, New York. J Neurol Sci 280:133, 2009
 
Lisak, RP, Section Editor for Neuroimmunology, Current Treatment Options in Neurology, Weiner, WJ, Giladi, N (eds); 11: 193-227, 2009
 
Lisak, RP, Truong, DD, Carroll, WM, Bhidayasiri, R.(eds) International Neurology. A Clinical Approach, Wiley-Blackwell , Oxford, UK, 2009
 

Lisak, RP, Kira, J-Y “Multiple sclerosis” in Lisak, RP, Truong, DD, Carroll, WM, Bhidaysari, R (eds), International Neurology. A Clinical Approach. Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford, UK, 2009, pp366-74, 2009

Ragheb S, Li Y, Simon K, Vanhaerents S, Galimberti D, De Riz M, Fenoglio C, Scarpini E, Lisak R. Multiple sclerosis: BAFF and CXCL13 in cerebrospinal fluid. Mult Scler. 2011 Mar 3. [Epub ahead of print] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21372118

Ford, C, Goodman, AD, Johnson, K, Kachuck, N, Lindsey, JW, Lisak, R, Luzzio, C, Myers, L, Panitch, H, Preliningerova, J, Pruitt, A, Rose, J, Rus, H, Wolinsky, J. Continuous long-term immunomodulatory therapy in relapsing multiple sclerosis: results from the 15-year analysis of the US prospective open-label study of glatiramer acetate. Mult Scler 16:342-350, 2010

 
Ford, C, Goodman, AD, Johnson, K, Kachuck, N, Lindsey, JW, Lisak, R, Luzzio, C, Myers, L, Panitch, H, Preliningerova, J, Pruitt, A, Rose, J, Rus, H, Wolinsky, J. Continuous long-term immunomodulatory therapy in relapsing multiple sclerosis: results from the 15-year analysis of the US prospective open-label study of glatiramer acetate. Mult Scler 16:342-350, 2010

Goodman, AD, Brown, TR, Edwards, KR, Krupp, LB, Schapiro, RT, Cohen, R, Marinucci, LN, Blight, AR on behalf of the MSF204 Invetigators (Lisak, R WSU site investigator). A phase 3 trial of extended release oral dalfampridine in multiple sclerosis. Ann Neurol 68:494-502, 2010.
Benjamins, JA, Nedelkoska, L, Lisak, RP, Hannigan, JH, Sokol, RJ. Cytokines reduce
toxic effects of ethanol on oligodendroglia. Neurochem Res 36:1677-1686, 2011
 
Ragheb, S, Li, Y, Simon, K, Van Haerents, S, Galimberti, D, de Riz, M, Genoglio, C, Scarpini, E, Lisak, R. Multiple sclerosis: BAFF and CXCL 13 in cerebrospinal fluid. Mult Scler 17:819-829, 2011
 
Lisak, RP, Nedelkoska, L, Studzinski, D Bealmear, B, Xu, W, Benjamins, J. Cytokines regulate neuronal gene expression: Differential effects of Th1, Th2 and monocyte/macrophage cytokines. J Neuroimmunol 238:19-33, 2011
 
Lisak, RP. Volume 300 of the Journal of the Neurological Sciences. J Neurol Sci 300:1, 2011.
Aarli, JA, Gilhus, NE, Lisak, RP, Mantegazza, R, Suzuki, S. Pathogenetic mechanisms and clinical manifestations in myasthenia gravis. Autoimmune Diseases ,in press
 
Lisak, RP. Associate Editor for Neuroimmunology, Encyclopedia of the Neurological Sciences. Daroff, R and Aminoff, M (editors), Elsevier in press
 
Lisak, RP Myasthenia Gravis, Encyclopedia of the Neurological Sciences. Daroff, R and Aminoff, M (editors), Elsevier, in press
 
 
Awards & Honors
  • Phi Beta Kappa
  • Fulbright-Hays Senior Research Scholar, United Kingdom
  • Fellow, ‘by distinction’ Royal College of Physicians
  • Doctors Award, Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America
  • Volunteers Hall of Fame, National Multiple Sclerosis Society
  • Advocate of the Year, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Michigan Chapter
  • Founders Day Award, Joseph Smith Honor Society, Helen M Jones Award in History (New York University)
  • John Morgan Society, Christian R and Helen F Lindback Foundation Award for Distinguished Teaching (University of Pennsylvania)
  • Distinguished Faculty Research Award, Lawrence Weiner Award from the WSU School of Medicine for service to the School of Medicine by a non-alumnus, Wayne State
  • University Academy of Scholars, Teacher of the Year Award (presented by the Neurology Residents, WSU/DMC) (Wayne State University)
  • Listed in Top Doctors in America, Best Doctors in America, Top Doctors HOUR Detroit Magazine. Who’s Who (multiple)
  • Elected a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (London) "by distinction" in 2008
  • Elected an honorary member of the American Neurological Association 2009
  • Awarded Lifetime Achievement Award from the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers 2011
  • In 2011 he was listed as one of the top 1% of physicians in the US by US News and World Report.
  • Editor-in-chief for the Journal of the Neurological Sciences 1998-2012
Other Information

New research funding awarded in 2011

“Effect of ACTH on Glial Cell Function Proliferation and Effects of Cytokines on Gene Regulation.” Sponsor: Questcor Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Robert Lisak, PI, Joyce Benjamins,