Department Chiefs - Robert Lisak, M.D.

"PATIENT CARE COMES FIRST"

Dr. Robert P. Lisak

Robert Lisak, M.D. is internationally known for his research into neuroimmunologic diseases such as Myasthenia Gravis, Guillian-Barre Syndrome and Multiple Sclerosis. As Professor and Chairman of the Department of Neurology at Wayne State University School of Medicine, his outstanding teaching skills have enabled him to recruit the brightest and best doctors and scientists to his department and residency program. But it is patient care that comes first when Dr. Lisak prioritizes his mission as Chief of Harper University Hospital's Department of Neurology.

"I chose neurology because it enabled me to pursue my scientific interests while allowing me to be a 'real doctor',"says Lisak. "Someone who achieves a correct diagnosis and offers appropriate treatment by carefully analyzing his or her observations and solving an intricate problem." Lisak made that decision in 1965--his fourth year at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University. After training in Internal Medicine at two New York City Hospitals and a research fellowship at the National Institute of Mental Health, Dr. Lisak did his residency in Neurology and was a fellow in Allergy and Immunology at the University of Pennsylvania. Lisak's talent for teaching became obvious when he joined the university's faculty.

Dr. Lisak became the Chief of the Neurology Department at Harper University Hospital in 1987. Under his leadership, Harper's Department of Neurology has become one of the finest in the nation. He has been able to recruit nearly a dozen nationally and internationally known neurologists to his team resulting in a world class treatment center. "It allows us to take a team approach," he says. "If we have an interesting or difficult patient we can grab someone and find out what they think."

The work of Dr. Lisak and his colleagues is making an impact both nationwide and also internationally. "It excites me to see the progress that's been made in neuroimmunological diseases," he says. "When I started there wasn't much we could do other than symptomatic treatment."

Dr. Lisak has served on medical advisory committees and boards of many voluntary health organizations and foundations worldwide. He has also served on and currently serves on research grant committees for the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America and the Guillian-Barre Syndrome Foundation. In addition to serving as a consultant for multiple governments and institutes overseas, Dr. Lisak has co-authored 180 peer-reviewed articles and 170 published abstracts, and over 100 reviews and book chapters. He has written a book and edited several otohers. He has been a Visiting Professor or lecturer at several universities in the United States and abroad. Dr. Lisak is currently a member of the editorial board of Muscle and Nerve Research, and is the editor of the Journal of Neurological Sciences.

Copyright® 1998-2000 Detroit Medical Center
The trademarks used or referred to on this Site are the exclusive property of the Detroit Medical Center ("DMC") and may not be used in any way without written consent of the DMC.
Site by Medical Knowledge Systems, Inc.