Marissa J. Schafer

Marissa J. Schafer, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering and an Assistant Professor of Neurology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. She leads the Brain and Systemic Aging Laboratory, where her research focuses on cellular senescence, inflammation, and their roles in brain aging and cognitive decline.

• Department: Physiology & Biomedical Engineering
• Joint Appointments: Department of Neurology, Department of Neuroscience
• Academic Rank: Associate Professor (Physiology), Assistant Professor (Neurology)
• Location: Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN

Education:

• Ph.D., Cellular and Molecular Biology, New York University
• M.S., Cellular and Molecular Biology, New York University
• B.A., Biology and Chemistry (Honors), Minnesota State University Moorhead

Dr. Schafer's research investigates how age-related cellular changes—particularly senescence in brain and peripheral tissues—contribute to cognitive dysfunction. Her lab uses multidisciplinary approaches including mouse models, spatial transcriptomics, proteomics, and clinical data analysis. Key research themes include brain cell senescence, circulating progeronic factors, and sex differences in aging. Her work aims to develop therapeutic strategies to prevent or reverse age-related cognitive decline.

Recent publications highlight her work on biomarkers of aging such as IL-23R, senescent oligodendrocyte precursor cells, and partial brain reprogramming. These studies span neuroscience, molecular biology, and translational gerontology, emphasizing spatial mapping and systemic communication in aging.

Scientific Awards:

• NIH Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00), 2018–2023
• Society for Neuroscience Professional Development Award, 2018
• Glenn Foundation and AFAR Fellowship for Translational Research on Aging, 2016–2017

Dr. Schafer has secured multiple grants as Principal Investigator, including projects funded by the National Institute on Aging and National Cancer Institute, focusing on senescent cells as mediators of brain aging and spatial mapping of senescence. Her lab actively trains researchers and contributes to postdoctoral fellowships. She is involved in the Women's Health Research Center and collaborates across disciplines to advance understanding of systemic aging and interorgan communication.

Laboratory: Brain and Systemic Aging Laboratory at Mayo Clinic, utilizing state-of-the-art technologies in single-cell and spatial omics to uncover age-altered cell states and their interactomes in vulnerable brain regions.