Sydney Schaefer is currently an assistant professor in the School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering at Arizona State University. She earned her undergraduate degree in sports medicine from Pepperdine University. She then received her doctorate in kinesiology with an emphasis in motor control from the Pennsylvania State University, and completed her postdoctoral training in stroke rehabilitation at Washington University in St. Louis in the Biomedical Engineering and Physical Therapy programs. Her current research aims to improve neurorehabilitation in older adults by studying how aging and cognitive impairment affect motor skill learning, and explores the interactions between different memory systems in the context of dementia. Schaefer's research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the American Heart Association and various non-profit foundations.