Mary Fisher, MD, PhD

Associate Professor, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

Biography

Dr. Fisher’s work has been instrumental in establishing the zebrafish as a model organism for the study of skeletal dysplasias, including her identification of a zebrafish model for Osteogenesis Imperfecta and publication of the first osteoblast markers. She pioneered the use of zebrafish to analyze transcriptional and regulatory elements from the human genome, and has identified and studied dozens of enhancers associated with skeletal genes. Her group has developed methods for live imaging of skull development that have revealed new details of skull bone formation and provided insight into the basis of human craniofacial birth defects. Her current work focuses on using methods in the zebrafish to understand complex genetic risk underlying human birth defects, and on creating and studying zebrafish models of human genetic diseases.

Publications

  • Published 5/4/2024

    He ?? XA, Berenson A, Bernard M, Weber C, Cook LE, Visel A, Fuxman Bass JI, Fisher S. Identification of conserved skeletal enhancers associated with craniosynostosis risk genes. Hum Mol Genet. 2024 May 04; 33(10):837-849. PMID: 37883470.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 11/1/2022

    Miao KZ, Cozzone A, Caetano-Lopes J, Harris MP, Fisher S. Osteoclast activity sculpts craniofacial form to permit sensorineural patterning in the zebrafish skull. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2022; 13:969481. PMID: 36387889.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 9/21/2020

    Samuels BD, Aho R, Brinkley JF, Bugacov A, Feingold E, Fisher S, Gonzalez-Reiche AS, Hacia JG, Hallgrimsson B, Hansen K, Harris MP, Ho TV, Holmes G, Hooper JE, Jabs EW, Jones KL, Kesselman C, Klein OD, Leslie EJ, Li H, Liao EC, Long H, Lu N, Maas RL, Marazita ML, Mohammed J, Prescott S, Schuler R, Selleri L, Spritz RA, Swigut T, van Bakel H, Visel A, Welsh I, Williams C, Williams TJ, Wysocka J, Yuan Y, Chai Y. FaceBase 3: analytical tools and FAIR resources for craniofacial and dental research. Development. 2020 Sep 21; 147(18). PMID: 32958507.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 10/20/2019

    Kanther M, Scalici A, Rashid A, Miao K, Van Deventer E, Fisher S. Initiation and early growth of the skull vault in zebrafish. Mech Dev. 2019 Dec; 160:103578. PMID: 31644945.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 8/6/2018

    Gistelinck C, Kwon RY, Malfait F, Symoens S, Harris MP, Henke K, Hawkins MB, Fisher S, Sips P, Guillemyn B, Bek JW, Vermassen P, De Saffel H, Witten PE, Weis M, De Paepe A, Eyre DR, Willaert A, Coucke PJ. Zebrafish type I collagen mutants faithfully recapitulate human type I collagenopathies. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2018 Aug 21; 115(34):E8037-E8046. PMID: 30082390.

    Read at: PubMed

View All 38 Publications:   View Full Profile in BUMC

Other Positions

  • Member, Genome Science Institute
    Boston University
  • Graduate Faculty (Primary Mentor of Grad Students)
    Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Graduate Medical Sciences

Websites

Education

  • Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, MD
  • Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, PhD
  • Purdue University, BS

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