Lisa Shafer PhD

Lisa Shafer is Director of CNS Drug Therapy Research and Development in Medtronic Neuromodulation. Under Lisa’s leadership, the CNS Drug Therapy R&D Team is responsible for translating new brain targeted drug delivery opportunities through Medtronic pumps, ports, and catheters for the treatment of pain and other neurological disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington Disease, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

This includes advancing new therapy opportunities from early pre-clinical stages through demonstrating proof of concept in clinical trials. Lisa joined Medtronic in 2002 as a scientist, and was promoted to Senior Scientist in 2003 and Principal Scientist in 2007. Prior to joining Medtronic, Lisa worked in 3M’s Pharmaceutical Division on the development of drugs for inflammatory diseases. She received a BS in Cell Biology and Genetics from the University of Minnesota and a PhD from Loyola Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, focusing on Neuroimmunology.