Marilyn is the president of the Simons Foundation. Under her leadership the foundation has grown rapidly since its inception in 1994 to become one of the country’s leading private funders of basic scientific research.

Marilyn also has more than 25 years of experience actively supporting nonprofit organizations in New York City and Long Island. In addition to her work to advance basic science research, she has been involved in K-12 education for underserved communities. She is vice president of the board of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, an outstanding U.S. research facility specializing in molecular biology and genetics. Marilyn is treasurer of the board of the LearningSpring School, a New York City school for children ages 5-14 with diagnoses on the autism spectrum. She is also a member of the board of trustees at the East Harlem Tutorial Program, an after-school program in New York City. She received a B.A. and Ph.D. in Economics from The State University of New York at Stony Brook.