Schaffer is a Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Bioengineering, and Neuroscience at University of California, Berkeley, where he has also served as the Director of the Berkeley Stem Cell Center. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in 1993 from Stanford University’s Department of Chemical Engineering. In 1998 he earned his PhD in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, advised by Professor Doug Lauffenburger. Subsequently, he worked as a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Fred Gage at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, CA, before taking his position at UC Berkeley in 1999. At Berkeley, Schaffer applies engineering principles to enhance stem cell and gene therapy approaches for neuroregeneration. This work includes mechanistic investigation of stem cell control, as well as molecular evolution and engineering of viral gene delivery vehicles.

Schaffer has also co-founded six companies, one of which is in human clinical trials. He has received an NSF CAREER Award, Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award, Whitaker Foundation Young Investigator Award, and was named a Technology Review Top 100 Innovator. He was also awarded the American Chemical Society Marvin Johnson Award in 2017 and the AIChE Andreas Acrivos Professional Progress Award in 2020.