Ram Fishman's research is concerned with the broad issues of Sustainable Development, with particular emphasis on water scarcity and climate change in developing countries, global food security, and sustainable agriculture. His research has a strong empirical field component, and is taking place in multiple locations in Africa and South Asia.

Prior to coming to Tel Aviv University, Fishman was an assistant professor of economics and international affairs at George Washington University, and prior to that, a Giorgio Ruffolo Post-doctoral Fellow in Sustainability Science at the Harvard Kennedy School. Fishman holds a Ph.D. in sustainable development from Columbia University, a M.Sc. in physics from the Weitzman Institute and a B.Sc. in mathematics from Tel Aviv University.