Dr. Lisak's Biographical Sketch

Robert P Lisak, MD, FRCP (E), FAAN, FANA
Parker Webber Chair in Neurology
Professor of Neurology
Professor of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology

Dr. Robert P. Lisak is Emeritus Professor of Neurology and was the Parker Webber Chair in Neurology, a tenured Professor of Neurology and Professor of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology at Wayne State University School of Medicine. Before coming to Wayne State University in 1987 he was a faculty member in the Department of Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia from 1972-1987, serving as Vice Chair of Neurology from 1985-87. He was also a member of the Graduate Group in Immunology and Associate Member of the Neuroscience Institute. Dr. Lisak served as Chair of Neurology at Wayne State University from 1987-2012, as Neurologist-in-Chief of the Detroit Medical Center from 1987-2011 and Chief of Neurology at Harper University Hospital and its predecessors from 1987-2012. As a physician scientist Dr. Lisak was a recipient of a Teacher Investigator Award from NINDS (1972-1977) and has and has had funding at the University of Pennsylvania and at Wayne State University from NINDS, NIAID, the National MS Society, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America, and the Guillain Barre Syndrome/CIDP Foundation, International, as well as from multiple pharmaceutical companies for both preclinical investigator initiated studies and clinical trials. His clinical, basic and translational studies in neuroimmunologic diseases have resulted in 253 peer reviewed papers and reports, 220 reviews, signed editorials, chapters and books (written and edited) and 338 published abstracts from national and international meetings. He has given invited talks nationally and internationally. Dr. Lisak has served and serves on multiple editorial boards and served as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the Neurological Sciences, the journal of the World Federation of Neurology, from 1997-2013.  He served and has served on study sections, review committees and policy committees for NIH and multiple voluntary health and scholarly societies as well as international, national and state-wide medical advisory boards. He has served in leadership positions for the American Academy of Neurology, the American Neurological Association, the International Society of Neuroimmunology, the Neurologic Society of Philadelphia and the Michigan Neurologic Association.  Dr. Lisak was a Fulbright Scholar in the United Kingdom. Among his other honors are election 'by distinction' to the Royal College of Physicians (England), Gold Medal Award for Research Achievements by the Alumni Association of the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Lifetime Achievement Award from the Consortium of MS Centers and Trailblazer Award from Wayne State University School of Medicine. He has won multiple teaching and mentoring awards from the University of Pennsylvania, Wayne State University and the American Neurological Association and one of the annual student research scholarships from the Foundation of the Consortium of MS Centers was named in his honor.