Craig and Audrae Tisher Professorship/Chair in Nephrology

This fund was established in 2007 to honor Craig and Audrae Tisher. Craig earned his medical degree in 1961 from Washington University of St. Louis and pursued fellowship training in nephrology at the University of Washington in Seattle. In 1980, he accepted an appointment from the University of Florida as a professor of medicine and pathology and the chief of the division of nephrology, hypertension and transplantation.

Craig is recognized both nationally and internationally for his writings and research in renal anatomy, pathology and physiology. In January 1998, he accepted an appointment as senior associate dean in the College of Medicine at the University of Florida. In 2001 he was awarded the prestigious John P. Peters Award from the American Society of Nephrology and in September 2002, he was named dean of the College of Medicine.

His discoveries have helped to explain the relationship between kidney structure and urine concentration, and the role of two major types of cells in the collecting duct of the kidney that contribute significantly to regulating the acid-base balance in mammals, including humans. He also has helped to define transport mechanisms that normally control the movement materials in the kidneys, but are disturbed in many forms of kidney disease.

Craig and Audrae have two sons, Brian and Christopher, both UF alumni. Brian earned a bachelor’s degree in advertising in 1989, a master’s degree in business administration in 1994, and a master’s degree in Health Service Administration in the same year. Christopher earned a bachelor’s degree in health science education in 1992.