I am Blaise Mariner, a computational biologist studying how genomes, epigenomes, and cellular processes shape aging. I connect biological questions with rigorous statistics, scalable computation, and the scientific judgment needed to make the results meaningful.
Also open to selected research collaborations and contract projects.
Lead-author research connecting molecular aging with lifespan differences in companion dogs.
My work spans molecular mechanisms, population-scale genomics, and the analysis systems that make ambitious biological studies possible. A recurring focus is understanding why individuals and species differ in aging and health.
With the Dog Aging Project, I investigate DNA methylation, transposable elements, biological age, and their relationship to lifespan. Our 2026 Science study identified distinct epigenetic patterns associated with sex and body size in dogs.
Read the Science paperI integrate genotype, epigenomic variation, and complex traits using GWAS, methylation-QTL mapping, Mendelian randomization, and colocalization—aiming to move beyond association toward more informative biological hypotheses.
Statistical genetics · Multi-omicsMy earlier work examined proteostasis, stress-response signaling, and lifespan regulation in experimental models. Current and collaborative projects extend that comparative approach to diverse genomic and molecular datasets.
Explore related researchA good analysis is not just statistically defensible. It should clarify the biology, withstand scrutiny, and help determine what to investigate next.
I often work across the full research lifecycle—from designing the statistical approach and building the pipeline to interpreting results, developing figures, and shaping a manuscript.
DNA methylation, epigenetic clocks, meQTLs, GWAS, allele-specific expression, genotype imputation, ancestry, comparative and multi-omic analysis.
Mixed-effects and longitudinal models, high-dimensional testing, survival analysis, causal-inference methods, fine-mapping, colocalization, and sensitivity analyses.
R, Python, Bash, SLURM/HPC, reproducible pipelines, data integration, workflow validation, computational troubleshooting, and publication-ready visualization.
A selection of first-author and collaborative research across aging biology, genomic regulation, microbial ecology, and cellular stress responses.
Mariner, McCoy et al. · Science · Lead author
Bamberger et al. · Nature Communications
Mariner et al. · bioRxiv · Preprint
Hernandez-Lima et al. · Cell Stress & Chaperones
Harrison et al. · Aging Cell
Mariner et al. · GeroScience
Mariner et al. · International Journal of Molecular Sciences
My path through engineering and molecular biology informs how I work: quantitatively, experimentally grounded, and comfortable moving between methods and mechanisms.
Dog Aging Project · Snyder-Mackler Lab, Arizona State University
Population-scale epigenomics and statistical genetics of aging, with an emphasis on reproducible analysis, biological interpretation, and collaborative research.
McCormick Lab, University of New Mexico
Multi-omic investigations of stress-response pathways, proteostasis, and lifespan regulation across model systems.
Outside research, I pursue endurance cycling and have taught in Ecuador and led outdoor programs in Maine. In 2026, I rode the Leadville Trail 100 MTB while fundraising for First Descents.
Alongside my research appointments, I take on select contract and collaborative projects through Mariner Genomics LLC. I am particularly interested in work that calls for scientific ownership: defining a tractable question, designing and implementing the analysis, and translating the findings into a defensible scientific result.
Based in Denver, Colorado. Collaborating with research teams across institutions.