Steer Government Decisions with a Career in Science Policy

Chris B. Schaffer is an associate professor in biomedical engineering at Cornell University. He received his undergraduate degree in physics from the University of Florida and his PhD in physics from Harvard University where he worked with Eric Mazur. As a postdoctoral fellow at University of California, San Diego, Chris worked with David Kleinfeld in the physics and neuroscience programs. His lab at Cornell develops advanced optical techniques that enable quantitative imaging and targeted manipulation of individual cells in the central nervous system of rodents with the goal of identifying interactions among cells that cause neurological disease. One area of current focus is the role of brain blood flow disruptions in the development of Alzheimer's disease. Chris is also active in developing novel educational strategies to teach science as a dynamic process for discovery. These approaches are used in outreach settings in middle and high school science classes as well as in his undergraduate and graduate courses. Chris also has a strong interest in science policy and spent a sabbatical in Washington, DC, working as a science policy adviser for Rep. Edward Markey.