Tara Fischer is a molecular cell biologist whose research explores how cells sense and respond to organelle damage to maintain homeostasis and control inflammation. She earned her Ph.D. in Neurosciences from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, where she studied mitochondrial dynamics in neuronal injury.
As a Research Fellow at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS, NIH) with Richard Youle, Fischer discovered novel mechanisms of autophagy and ubiquitin signaling in the cGAS–STING pathway—key processes linking organelle stress to innate immunity and neurodegeneration.
Joining Cornell at the beginning of 2026, Fischer leads a research program that integrates cell biology, immunology, and neurobiology to understand how organelle quality control mechanisms protect against inflammation and disease.
Selected publications highlight our contributions to understanding organelle quality control, innate immunity, and neurodegenerative disease. (Find more on her Google Scholar if you need it)
Fischer TD, et al. EMBO Journal, In Press. “STING induces HOIP-mediated synthesis of M1 ubiquitin chains to stimulate NFκB signaling.”
Fischer TD, et al. Journal of Cell Biology, 2020. “STING induces LC3B lipidation onto single-membrane vesicles via the V-ATPase and ATG16L1-WD40 domain.” (Editor’s Pick in Immune Cell Biology 2021)
