Member of the Brazilian Center for International Relations (CEBRI)'s International Advisory Board. Fishlow is known for his research on Brazil and Latin America’s historical, economic and strategic issues, as well as the relationship of the region’s countries with the rest of the world.

He was Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs of the U.S. Government (1970-1976). He was Director of the Institute for Latin American Studies and the Center for Studies on Brazil, both at Columbia University.

He has taught at the University of California, Berkeley, Yale University and Columbia University. He holds a bachelor's and master's degrees in economics from the University of Pennsylvania and a doctorate in the same field from Harvard University.