She received a BA in psychology from Wake Forest University and a PhD in Experimental/Developmental Psychology from the University of Georgia. She served as the President of the Midcontinent Region of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality in 2000 and has been a Consulting Editor for the Journal of Sex Research since 1994. Fisher has published numerous studies on gender and personality differences in sexuality, parent-child communication about sexuality, and contextual effects on the reporting of sexual behavior. She is the co-editor of Speaking of Sexuality: Interdisciplinary Readings and the Handbook of Sexuality-Related Measures.