ABOUT
Maria Brisbane's professional background is in private wealth management. Managing a biotechnology mutual fund at Bank of America Private Bank, formerly US Trust, she assessed companies whose value rested almost entirely on science that had not yet proven itself — early-stage therapeutics, unproven platforms, research years away from a patient.
That experience dovetailed naturally into philanthropy. Maria sits on the board of the Cancer Research and Treatment Fund, where her background in evaluating medical research informs how the organization directs its support. She is also a member of the Havens Relief Fund Society, and served as an advisor to The Grass Foundation, a not-for-profit dedicated to neuroscience. Across all three, her interest is less in writing checks than in understanding what the money is actually buying — which questions are worth pursuing, and which institutions are equipped to pursue them.
In addition, Maria holds the role of Adjunct Associate Professor in the Finance Division at Columbia Business School.