Gary Fisher, PhD

“Sun protection prevents damage to skin, but it also prevents systemic inflammation. A significant sunburn activates the innate immune response and causes flu-like symptoms because the way the skin reacts to that damage is in direct communication with the rest of the body. So, the more you can protect the skin from external damage and maintain that barrier, the better you look – and also the better you feel.”  

Dr. Fisher studies the molecular mechanisms of sun-induced premature skin aging and chronological skin aging. His research has focused on the role of retinoids in promoting skin health as an anti-aging treatment. His particular interests include regulation of signal transduction pathways by protein tyrosine phosphatases, and extracellular matrix biology related to stem cells, inflammation and cancer in aging human skin. 

With Amway, Dr. Fisher is exploring the impact of skin on overall health, investigating how skin that is damaged by the environment communicates that damage throughout the body to negatively affect other organs. He also is researching the skin’s potential to influence healthy aging, such as whether less inflammation occurs in the skin and body overall when the skin barrier is maintained. 

Dr. Fisher received his PhD from Cornell University and postdoctoral training at Washington University in Saint Louis in the Departments of Biological Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine. He has guest lectured for US National Institutes of Health workshops  and continuing education conferences for medical students and nurses. He has been recognized as an inventor and for research achievements. The author of more than two hundred peer-reviewed published papers, Dr. Fisher has spoken at major scientific meetings in the United States, Europe, and Asia.