Marcie Mao

Marcie Mao is an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley's School of Economics. Her research focuses on the intersection of development and health economics, examining how socioeconomic status, environmental factors, and genetic influences shape health outcomes in aging minority populations. She investigates chronic diseases such as cardiovascular conditions, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and Alzheimer's disease.

Dr. Mao holds a Ph.D. in Economics (2020) and collaborates with faculty from the schools of business and medicine. Her work is supported by grants from the Rio Grande Valley Alzheimer's Disease Resource Center for Minority Aging Research and her university's Faculty Seed Research Grant. She emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches, combining economics with sociology, psychology, and public policy to address global challenges like poverty and climate change.

Her research passions include promoting cognitive health among underrepresented minority elders and advancing equitable healthcare solutions through evidence-based policymaking. She advocates for economics education as a transformative tool to understand complex societal systems.