Steven Fisher

Steven Fisher is a Research Professor and Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), affiliated with the Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. He directs the Retinal Cell Biology Lab within the Neuroscience Research Institute (NRI). His research focuses on retinal cell biology, particularly using imaging techniques to study photoreceptor degeneration and regeneration in models of retinal detachment. Fisher's work explores cellular changes in retinal diseases like age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy, with collaborations on stem cell therapies and animal models of human conditions like central serous chorioretinopathy (CSR).

• Affiliations: UCSB MCDB, NRI, Fisher Lab
• Key techniques: Electron microscopy, confocal imaging, bio-image informatics
• Research themes: Retinal detachment pathology, Müller cell reactivity, astrocyte plasticity

Education: Ph.D. from Purdue University and Johns Hopkins University, postdoctoral training under John Dowling at the Wilmer Eye Institute. He joined UCSB in 1971, leading NRI from 1984–2001. His lab pioneered studies on retinal remodeling and developed imaging tools like BioView3D and BISQUE databases.

Publications span over 40 years, emphasizing retinal degeneration mechanisms and therapeutic strategies. Collaborations include the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM)-funded stem cell trials for retinitis pigmentosa.