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Marleny Franco

Biography

Marleny Franco grew up fast. In the Dominican Republic, her mother had been a nurse, but had to work as a janitor and a McDonald's server after moving the family to Boston in 1991. The family's life was tough, without legal documents, health insurance, or financial stability. Marleny took care of her five-year-old sister and made learning English a priority, partly because her mother needed help. Still, Marleny recalls, "My mother's resilience and strength were infectious. Although disillusioned at times, she didn't see these challenges as obstacles but rather as hurdles that could be overcome."

Marleny seems to have had the same attitude. She won entry to the prestigious exam school, Boston Latin Academy. Having got hooked on biology, she decided in the 11th grade that the magnet school didn't have rigorous enough science classes. She persuaded the science dean to link her with a Harvard Medical School advisor and began teaching herself college-level molecular biology. That led to paid, mentored summer research internships.

As an undergraduate at Brown, Marleny continued her research interests, concluding with a senior project that explored HIV risk-reducing strategies employed by incarcerated Latinas. She also worked as a research assistant at Rhode Island Hospital's Childhood Asthma Research Program, studying the cultural factors affecting asthma management in urban children.

"As an immigrant who overcame many hardships," Marleny says, "I feel that it is my duty and privilege to lower some of the hurdles faced by the underserved." As a pediatrician, specifically, she wants to deliver "culturally sensitive and linguistically competent healthcare" to underserved Latino communities.

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