Up The Down Escalator : Medicine, Motherhood, and Multiple Sclerosis

Lisa Doggett

Lisa Doggett, MD, is a family physician, MS Warrior, and co-founder of Texas Physicians for Social Responsibility. She previously directed a safety net clinic in Austin, Texas where she saw an eclectic mix of patients struggling with their own health challenges in a deeply dysfunctional system. A self-described health nut, Lisa was shocked to become a patient herself when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a bizarre neurologic disease known to be a leading cause of disability in young adults. Since her MS diagnosis in 2009, she has battled frustrating symptoms and insurance companies. She has experienced relapses and has explored alternative treatments. But she has also run two marathons, traveled to five continents, raised two daughters, and embraced her job as a lead physician creating innovative programs for people with chronic disease around the country. Lisa graduated from Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Texas School of Public Health. She has published in the New York Times, Motherwell, and the Austin American-Statesman. She is a columnist for Public Health Watch and blogs for the National MS Society’s Momentum magazine. Lisa has been featured in Parents magazine, Women’s World, and on CBS Sunday Morning. As a national thought leader and 2021-22 Vaccine Science Fellow with the American Academy of Family Physicians, she provides webinars, speaks at conferences, and contributes to articles on a variety of health topics, including stories in U.S. News and World Report, Reader’s Digest, and Healthline. She lives in Austin, Texas with her husband Don, a hospital-based pediatrician, and their two daughters, Ella and Clara.