Marissa Schafer joined Mayo Clinic faculty as an Assistant Professor and Senior Associate Consultant in the Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering and the Department of Neurology in May 2020. She is an active member of the Mayo Clinic Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging. Dr. Schafer's NIH-funded research focuses on identifying mechanisms that can be targeted to counteract age-dependent cognitive dysfunction. She is a member of the NIH Cellular Senescence Network Consortium. Dr. Schafer is passionate about prioritizing diversity and inclusion in research and is actively engaged in a wide range of local and international service activities focused on education and science communication.

Age is a primary risk factor for multiple chronic conditions, including cognitive decline and dementia. Dr. Schafer's research focuses on cellular and molecular mechanisms that contribute to age-related brain dysfunction, with the goal of developing strategies to prevent, slow, or reverse cognitive decline. Cellular senescence and inflammation are interconnected causes and consequences of tissue aging. Dr. Schafer and her research team synergistically investigate the brain-specific and peripheral impact of senescent cells and inflammation on brain aging and cognitive health. Researchers in Dr. Schafer's lab implement a multidisciplinary approach that spans the basic-to-translational continuum. They leverage state-of-the-art cellular, molecular, and behavioral methods in mouse and cell-based models of aging, coupled with clinical data and biomarker analyses, to discover mechanisms of dysfunction and develop therapeutics to combat age-related brain dysfunction.