Grants Manager, Mae Philanthropies

Marlene is a physician and business executive dedicated to advancing durable, systems-level solutions to critical global challenges. With more than three decades of experience spanning clinical medicine, academic research, health technology innovation, aerospace sciences, and governance, she brings a uniquely cross-disciplinary and collaborative lens to philanthropy and grant management.

At Mae, Marlene leverages her expertise in medicine, clinical research, technology transfer, and commercialization to advance initiatives that deliver meaningful, measurable social impact. Her work focuses on aligning capital, partnerships, and evidence-driven strategies to address complex challenges across mental health, community resilience, and education.

Previously, Marlene served as an attending vascular surgeon and Associate Professor at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Director of Digital Health and AI at UCSF Innovation Ventures, and Visiting Professor at the International Space University. She has co-founded and advised early-stage ventures across healthcare, climate, and artificial intelligence, and has worked closely with multidisciplinary teams and governmental bodies on policy and research efforts focused on health innovation and aerospace medicine.

Marlene holds an MD from McGill University, an MMSc from Harvard Medical School, and an MBA from Brown University and IE Business School. She completed her residency in cardiac surgery at McGill University, a fellowship in vascular surgery at the University of British Columbia, and a post-doctoral fellowship in aerospace medicine through Harvard and MIT.