Dr. Luke Fischer (he/him) is a neurologist and neuroscientist specializing in Lewy body disease. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Michigan State University with dual degrees in philosophy and biochemistry and molecular biology. He went on to complete a dual MD/PhD program, earning his doctorate in neuroscience in Dr. Caryl E. Sortwell’s laboratory. As a trainee at the NINDS Morris K. Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson’s Disease Research, Dr. Fischer investigated the use of deep brain stimulation in rodent models of Parkinson’s disease to explore its potential as a neuroprotective therapy. He later continued his work in Dr. Sortwell’s lab as a postdoctoral fellow, focusing on how common genetic variants impact clinical outcomes in Parkinson’s disease, contributing to precision medicine approaches for patient care.
Dr. Fischer completed his neurology residency at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and served as chief resident. As part of the NINDS R25 research program, he joined Dr. Laura Volpicelli-Daley’s laboratory to apply advanced microscopy techniques, including confocal and expansion microscopy, to postmortem human brain tissue to study co-pathology.
Following residency, Dr. Fischer completed a clinical fellowship in behavioral neurology at the UCSF Edward and Pearl Fein Memory and Aging Center, where he continues his research as a NINDS UE5 fellow in the Selective Vulnerability Research Laboratory. His work integrates histological analysis and spatial transcriptomics to advance understanding of neurodegenerative diseases.
In 2024, Dr. Fischer received the Fred A. Erb Clinical Research Science Fellowship from the Alzheimer’s Association and the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation. This three-year award builds on his prior research to further characterize molecular and cellular changes associated with Lewy body disease.