Dr. Peter Geissler, MD, PhD
It is uncommon for a man to be highly regarded in more than one field of endeavor.
By any standard, therefore,
Prof. Dr.(med.) Peter S. Geissler, A.B., B.S., M.S., M.Phil., Ph.D. (Yale)
M.A., M.Eng., M.S., Ph.D., M.S., M.D., M.Phil. (Cantab), Ph.D.
BAS, BAI (Trinity), LCE (Trinity)
is an uncommon man.
Dr. Geissler is well known as a commissioner for oaths, court-appointed appellate mediator, research psychoanalyst, professional engineer, licensed physician, licensed pharmacist, advocate before the United States Food and Drug Administration, and an authority on international trademark registration.
Dr. Geissler has a broad background in civil and mechanical engineering, and the physical and biomedical sciences. He earned two bachelor’s degrees, a B.S. in civil engineering from Stanford University, and an A.B. in physics from University of California, Berkeley. Thereafter, he was awarded a United States Public Health Service Training Grant to attend Yale University where he received M.S., M.Phil. and Ph.D. degrees in physiology, all by the age of 24. Having received his Ph.D. from Yale in the shadow (both literally and figuratively) of the famous Lars Onsager, Peter Geissler “messed around” for a few years trying to solve the 3-Dimensional Ising Model Problem.
Needless to say, those efforts were fruitless, but in the process, the young Dr. Geissler stumbled across a solution to another important theoretical problem, the Tethered Polymer Problem, that has broad application to Graph Theory [c.f. Geissler, P., “Configurational Entropy of Tethered Polymers and the Swelling Properties of Connective Tissue” in Solution Properties of Polysaccharides, 1981, American Chemical Society]. Thus, at the age of 24, Dr. Geissler started a twenty year career (1974, 1994) as lecturer at the University of California (Davis, Berkeley and Irvine) biomedical engineer and research scientist in the Division of Biology & Medicine at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. During this period, Dr. Geissler earned an M.A. degree in biophysics from the University of California, Berkeley, the M.Eng. degree in civil engineering from the University of California, Davis, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in civil engineering from the University of California, Irvine. Dr. Geissler was appointed Science Advisor to the California Energy Commission for the State of California. Dr. Geissler was appointed Special National Institutes of Health Research Fellow in Physiological Optics at the School of Optometry, University of California, Berkeley and Special National Institutes of Health Research Fellow in the Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of California, Davis.
Dr. Geissler was appointed Bioradiology & Medical Physics Consultant to the Department of Physiology, New York University Medical School and served as a Lecturer in the Trauma Program, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Yale University. Dr. Geissler was awarded an Alexander Von Humboldt Fellowship at the Institute for Physiology, Die Freien Universität, Berlin.
In 1994, Dr. Geissler studied clinical human anatomy at Oxford University as an academic visitor through Oxford’s ISIS Exchange Program.
In 1994-95, Dr. Geissler studied medicine at American University of the Caribbean whilst serving on the medical microbiology faculty and lecturing on clinical immunology and earned an M.S. degree in basic medical sciences. In 1995, Dr. Geissler completed his Doctor of Medicine degree at Grace University in St Kitts-Nevis, a medical qualification recognized by the General Medical Council in the United Kingdom.
In 1996, Dr. Geissler spent two months in residence at the London School of Tropical Medicine. However, prior to completing the requirements for the Diploma in Tropical Medicine, Dr. Geissler accepted an appointment as Director of the Cambridge Overseas Medical Training Program in Cambridge. In 1996-97, Dr. Geissler undertook postgraduate research within the Department of Anatomy at University of Cambridge and wrote a thesis on the role of bacterial endotoxin, a virulence factor expressed by most gram-negative bacteria known to have a stimulatory effect on host inflammatory mediators, and explained the biochemical mechanism of its destabilizing effect on the blood-clotting cascade that causes disseminated intravascular coagulation in severe cases of sepsis. In 1997, Dr. Geissler was awarded the M.Phil.(Cantab) degree in biological sciences from the University of Cambridge.
When asked what he considers his most significant intellectual contribution, Dr. Geissler responds without hesitation: “serving as Professor Howard Mel’s assistant” for twenty-odd years in Berkeley on the development of the Theory of Thermodynamics of Irreversible Processes [c.f. Mel, H. and Geissler, P., Global Thermodynamic Potential Function for Nonequilibrium, Open Chemical Reaction Systems” 1986 Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory Technical Report No. LBL-22323]. When asked about what he considers his greatest failure, Dr. Geissler responds, similarly, without hesitation: “trying to start a medical school in war-tom Uganda.” After many years of effort, hundreds of thousands of dollars in fundraising and significant educational support from University of Cambridge faculty, only a handful of African physicians were ultimately trained in tropical medicine before the school finally closed its doors. En route, however, there were also triumphs, such as having been appointed Chancellor of Saint Christopher’s College of Medicine in Senegal, serving as Director of the Cambridge Overseas Medical Training Program in Africa, serving as Managing Director of Kigezi International School of Medicine in Uganda, and presiding over graduation ceremonies at the United Nations in New York.
This time in Africa, however difficult, proved to be formative in developing Dr. Geissler’s appreciation of the environmental and public health aspects of clinical medicine, especially community mental health and the treatment of addiction disorders. Thereafter, he undertook specialty postdoctoral training in the treatment of addiction disorders and in-depth psychoanalysis under the auspices of the British Psychoanalytic Institute. In order to develop innovative community mental health programs, Dr. Geissler subsequently held the following health-related professional licenses:
- Marriage and Family Therapist in the District of Columbia
- Registered Addiction Counselor in the District of Columbia
- Registered Naturopath in the District of Columbia
- Registered Health Physics
- Consultant in the District of Columbia
- Registered Counselor in the State of Washington
- Registered Radiation Physicist in the District of Columbia
- Registered Hypnotherapist in the State of Washington
- Marriage and Family Therapist Associate in the State of Washington
- Certified Chemical Dependency Professional in the State of Washington
- Marital and Family Therapist in the State of Tennessee
- Licensed Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor in the State of Tennessee
- Certified Clinical Therapist in the State of Oregon
- Mental Health Counselor in the State of Florida
- Certified Drug, Alcohol & Addictions Counselor in the State of California
- Research Psychoanalyst in the State of California; and Registered Addiction Counselor in the State of California
Finally, Dr. Geissler was appointed Professor of Psychiatry at University of the Cumberlands to head a bold initiative to develop a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology degree program designed to be the first of its kind, worldwide, to educate medical psychologists capable of being granted prescription authority.
Recently, Dr. Geissler was appointed admissions secretary to the British Psychoanalytic Institute in Oxford. Dr. Geissler promised to commit a significant fraction of his time in the years ahead to serving as clinical supervisor for postdoctoral residents in training at the British Psychoanalytic Institute in Oxford. Dr. Geissler is a licensed physician in Zanzibar. Despite best efforts, Dr. Geissler has been largely unsuccessful at making any significant contribution to the fields of community mental health and the treatment of addiction disorders.
Dr. Geissler holds the following engineering licenses:
- Registered Professional Land Surveyor – State of Colorado, License No. 38660
- Certified Water Right Surveyor – State of Idaho
- Registered Land Surveyor-in-Training – State of Nebraska
- Registered Professional Engineer – State of Colorado, License No. 57853
- Registered Professional Civil Engineer – State of Rhode Island, Registration No. 13703
- Registered Professional Engineer – State of New Mexico, License No. 26051
- Registered Professional Civil Engineer – Italy, License No. 39070 (Ingegnere iscreto a settori Civile e Ambientale No. 39070)
- Title Authority: Qualified Expert – State of Utah Division of Waste Management and Radiation Control (Ref: Utah Code Annotated 1953, Section 19-3-104 and pursuant to R313-16-293)
- Title Authority: Qualified Expert – State of West Virginia (Ref: West Virginia Radiological Health Rule 64csr23 page 8 section 3.67)
- Title Authority: Radiation Producing Machine or Device Installer or Service Company – State of Nevada, License 00-00-13980-01
- Registered Professional Radiation Services – State of Massachusetts, License No. 65-0793
- Registered Professional Radiation Services – District of Columbia, License No. RP0600004
- Registered Health Physics Consultant – District of Columbia Certificate No. RP0600004
- Registered Radiation Physicist – District of Columbia Certificate No. RP0600004
- Registered Professional Qualified Expert – State of Utah, License No. DRC-2020-016050
- Registered Professional Radiation Physics Services – State of Rhode Island, License No. RPS0227
- Registered Professional Industrial Safety Consultant – State of New Mexico, License No. 1286-6I
- Registered Professional Shielding Design – State of Arizona, License No. 2418
- Perit Arkitett u Inġinier Ċivili – Republic of Malta, Warrant No. W980
- Registered Professional Engineer (Structural, Civil & Structural, Mechanical) – State of Wyoming, License No. PE17744
- Registered Professional Engineer (Civil & Mechanical) – State of Idaho, License No. P18446
- Registered Professional Land Surveyor – State of Idaho, License No. L18446
- Registered Professional Civil Engineer – State of California, License No. 44320
- General Engineering Contractor – State of California, License No. 464570
- Registered Professional Civil Engineer – State of Washington, License No. 219112
- Licensed Professional Land Surveyor – State of Nevada, License No. 025633
- Licensed Water Rights Surveyor – State of Nevada, License No. 1336
- Licensed Civil Engineer – State of Nevada, License No.025633
- Registered Professional Mechanical Engineer – State of Washington, License No. 21911
- Registered Radiation Physicist – District of Columbia, Certificate No. RP0600004
- Registered Professional Engineer – State of Tennessee, License No. 0113950
- Licensed Land Surveyor – State of Wisconsin, License No. 3183
- Registered Professional Civil Engineer – Virgin Islands, License No. 1349-CE (PE 1349-E/0-37622)
- Registered Professional Land Surveyor – Virgin Islands, License No. 1349-LS (1393-E / 37622-1B)
- Licensed Land Surveyor – Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands No. LS-24 (No. PS 34)
- Registered Professional Engineer & Fellow – Institution of Engineers of Ireland, License No. P474171
- Eur.Ing. – Fellow of the European Federation of National Engineering Associations (FEANI), Registration No. 01955IE
- Registered Professional Land Surveyor – State of Maryland, License No. 21943
- Registered Professional Civil Engineer – State of Florida, License No. 89118
- Registered Professional Engineer & Land Surveyor – State of Connecticut, License No. PEL.70499
- Registered Professional Land Surveyor – State of New Mexico, License No. 25336
- Registered Professional Land Surveyor – State of Arizona, License No. 70421
- Geometra Laureato – Italy, License No. 11452
- Provisional Radiation Therapy or Radiologic Imaging – State of Nevada, (Non-provisional License Pending)
- Registered Professional Qualified Radiation Expert – State of Idaho (License Pending)
- Registered Professional RPM Installer – State of Nevada, License No. 00-00-13980-01
- Title Authority: Therapeutic Medical Physicist – U.S. Federal Government pursuant to 10 CFR § 35.51
- Director, CLIA High Complexity Laboratory, State of Colorado, License No: 06D2192717
- Director, CLIA High Complexity Laboratory, State of Idaho, License No: 13D2198688
- Water Right Surveyor – State of Colorado
Having submitted his first U.S. Patent Application at the age of 24, Dr. Geissler developed a life-long fascination for patent prosecution and trademark registration. Dr. Geissler is a recognized authority on international trademark registration and has many years of experience as a Trademarks Registrar. Currently, Dr. Geissler serves as (sometimes) Senior Tutor and Director of Academy of Intellectual Property Law.
Dr. Geissler has been appointed a court-approved general civil mediator in the following jurisdictions:
- United Slates District Court for the District of ldaho
- United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
- Superior Court of California, County of Fresno
- Superior Court of California, County of Yolo
- Superior Court of California, County of Solano
- Superior Court of California, County of Butte
- Superior Court of California, County of Nevada
- Superior Court of California, County of Amador
- Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa
- Superior Court of California, County of Tuolumne
- Supreme Court of Georgia
- Supreme Court of Tennessee and the Seventh Judicial Administrative District, State of Georgia, Superior, Probate and Magistrate Courts
Most significantly, Dr. Geissler has recently been added to the mediation panel for the Sixth Appellate District Court of Appeal, State of California. As a public service, Dr. Geissler serves as a court-appointed general civil mediator for medical malpractice litigation, workers’ compensation appeals and, of course, trademark-infringement cases. Mediation seems to be a good fit for the uncommon Dr. Geissler. He makes light of the fact that for years people have told him that his opinion is of no value; now the Supreme Court of Tennessee agrees!” Indeed, Dr. Geissler has the broad perspective required of a good-humored mediator and yet is extremely well versed in the lexicon of interpersonal conflict. Dr. Geissler enjoys sailing adventures, intellectual conversations at The Travellers Paris, and reading truly insightful texts such as Elementary Principles of Statistical Mechanics (Chapters I & IV) by J. Willard Gibbs, The Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud, and Trade Mark Law, a Practical Anatomy, by Jeremy Phillips. Dr. Geissler has devoted the second half of his career to the practice of European patent and trademark law. As a Maltese intellectual property attorney and principal of Geissler & Associates, the patents and trademarks registry, Dr. Geissler has become an authority on international trademark registration. His focus is trademark registration in Europe, Malta, Ireland, and the United Kingdom and his specialty is legal representation in ex parte administrative proceedings in relation to the registration, opposition, and cancellation of trademarks.
Dr. Geissler is Director of Academy of Intellectual Property Law that offers postgraduate training in European trademark law, British trademark law, Irish trademark law, United States trademark law, European patent law and United States patent law. Dr. Geissler is understandably proud that The Worldwide Academy of the United Nations World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) has written inter alia “we attach great importance to the activities of the Academy of Intellectual Property Law” and has stated a willingness to collaborate in the promotion of IP education in the future.” The practice of European patent and trademark law allows Dr. Geissler to immerse himself into “this most wonderful of subjects.”