Miriam Fischer migrated to Australia with her Australian husband in 1968. Having studied agronomy in Chile and California, Fischer readily found employment at CSIRO. After a period of time in Canberra, Fischer and her family moved to Mexico where they lived for five years. Returning to Canberra, Fischer began PhD studies in virology and completed her doctorate in 1980. Between 1988 and 1995, Fischer again lived in Mexico where she and her husband worked at an agricultural institute. Having returned once more to Canberra, and now retired, Fischer works as a volunteer guide at the National Gallery.