Mariaelena “Elena” Concha

Administrative Director

Mariaelena Concha serves as the Budget & Finance Manager for the SDSU HealthLINK Center, where she leads strategic financial planning and oversees the full spectrum of fiscal operations for the $22M NIH-funded cooperative agreement. In this executive role, she supports the Center’s mission to advance health research by ensuring financial accountability, operational efficiency, and long-term sustainability through effective budget management, cost recovery systems, and compliance oversight.

Previously serving as the Center’s Administrative Director, Ms. Concha played a key role in its foundational development, managing high-level administrative functions, guiding infrastructure growth, and directing facilities planning efforts. Her transition into the Budget & Finance Manager role reflects her deep expertise in financial strategy and operational leadership.

Ms. Concha collaborates closely with SDSU and SDSU Research Foundation departments to optimize resource use, align institutional processes, and identify cross-functional synergies. She also supports junior investigators with training and guidance on budget development, post-award management, and closeout procedures.

Bilingual and bicultural, Ms. Concha brings over 15 years of experience in administrative and financial management within the academic and nonprofit sectors. Before her Center roles, she served as Administrative Coordinator of the SDSU HealthLINK Endowment and Institute Manager at the Institute for Behavioral and Community Health (IBACH), where she supported multi-institutional public health initiatives and managed institute-wide budgets, including the $10M endowment from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities.