Marc Hurlbert

Dr. Marc Hurlbert, a pharmacologist by training, serves as Chief Science Officer for the Melanoma Research Alliance. In this role, he is responsible for guiding MRA’s scientific strategy, overseeing the peer-reviewed grant-making program, and forging scientific collaborations. He has more than 18 years of nonprofit and grant-making experience focused on advancing medical research. Past work has included treatment and prevention strategies for breast cancer, lymphoma and multiple myeloma, as well as juvenile diabetes. In addition, Marc led the expansion of public health programs to enable low-income, uninsured and minority patient populations diagnosed with cancer to access treatments and care across the US, and in developing countries around the world.

Dr. Hurlbert comes to MRA after serving for three years as the Chief Mission Officer at the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF). At BCRF Marc oversaw a $60-million annual research program supporting 300 scientists in 15 countries, spanning all aspects of cancer from basic biology and prevention, to developing new treatments and to quality of life research. Prior to BCRF, Marc served as a scientific director at the Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Crusade, as a scientific consultant and on the staff of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).

In 2013, Dr. Hurlbert co-founded and served as Chair for the Metastatic Breast Cancer Alliance, a leading coalition of 30 nonprofits, 11 pharmaceutical companies, and dozens of patients that works together to advance research and improve the quality of life for patients with metastatic disease. During his five years as Chair, the Alliance conducted and published a comprehensive research landscape analysis, conducted two national awareness campaigns reaching millions of people, developed two new tools for patients to find clinical trials, forged partnerships with NCI and the FDA, and conducted 4 epidemiology research studies.

He earned a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Colorado, and completed a fellowship at the New York University Medical Center. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from the University of Kansas.