Griffith R. Harsh, III Endowed Chair in Neurosurgery
Professor

Areas of Interest
brain tumors, neurovascular disorders

Dr. Fisher was born in Highland Park, Illinois. He considers himself a midwesterner, although much of his formative years were spent in the South. After graduating from high school, Dr. Fisher attended Duke University where he was a Division I college athlete and lettered in wrestling four years.

Dr. Fisher attended St. Louis University Medical School after leaving Duke and was voted into the medical school honor society, AOA. Dr. Fisher qualified for a military scholarship in medical school and therefore went to Bethesda Naval Hospital upon graduation where he did his internship and neurosurgery training. Thereafter, he trained with the world renowned Charles Drake in vascular neurosurgery in London, Ontario. In addition, Dr. Fisher completed a pediatric fellowship at the National Children's Hospital in Washington, DC under the direction of Dr. David McCullough. He received his neurosurgical boards in 1987.

Upon returning to Bethesda Naval Hospital Dr. Fisher was intimately involved in the training of residents and developing a neurovascular service. He was affiliated with the Uniformed Services Medical School which was located on the Bethesda campus and participated in various training courses including a novel multidisciplinary microvascular surgical course. He achieved an academic level of associate professor from the department of surgery at the medical school. At the time, Bethesda was one of two ABNS sanctioned military neurosurgical training programs.

Dr. Fisher was the most senior neurosurgeon during the Operation Desert Shield portion of the war with Iraq. During that time contingencies were made for neurosurgical care and preparation of a practically brand-new 900 bed hospital ship, the USNS Comfort. Dr. Fisher maintained his military affiliation after separating from active duty service and retired as a reservist after 23 years. He is a retired captain in the United States Naval Medical Corps.

After completion of his active-duty military time at Bethesda, Dr. Fisher began his tenure at UAB. He has spent the majority of this time developing a nationally recognized neurovascular service. This has included not only a state-of-the art neurosurgical unit, but active participation in intensive care and gamma knife therapy. He is the presently head of one of the largest Neurointensive care units in the country. He, with otolaryngologist Dr. Benjamin McGrew, has developed a vigorous skull base service with outstanding surgical results dealing with acoustic neuromas and skull base meningiomas. Dr. Fisher became a full professor in 1997 and became the first holder of the Griff Harsh Endowed Chair of Neurosurgery in 2009.

Dr. Fisher has held various leadership responsibilities in the third largest neurosurgical organization, the Southern Neurosurgery Society, and in 2006 became the president of that society. He has also been the president of the Alabama Neurosurgical Society. He remains active in the Southern Neurosurgery Society.

Dr. Fisher’s involvement in scholarly activities includes efforts as an ad hoc reviewer for multiple neurosurgical journals as well as editor-in-chief of Perspectives in Neurological Surgery from 1997 to 2000. He contributes regularly to the body of neurosurgical literature with continued publications. He has contributed to several textbooks and written multiple chapters. Dr. Fisher is very interested in electronic medical records, databases for neurosurgical diseases, and computer software for facilitating both patient care and diagnosis.

Probably Dr. Fisher's most proud accomplishments have been the training of numerous residents while in both the military and at UAB. Dr. Fisher received the W. Jerry Oakes Teaching Award in 2012, an honor bestowed by the residents upon their mentors. His various areas of expertise include: neurovascular diseases of the brain, carotid artery disease, skull base surgery for complex intracranial tumors, peripheral nerves surgery, trigeminal neuralgia, and hydrocephalus.

Education

Medical School
St. Louis University

Internship
National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland

Residency
National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland

Fellowship
University Hospital, London, Ontario, Canada

Contact

Campus Address
FOT 1040

Patient Appointments and Questions
205-934-7170

Email
wfisher@uabmc.edu