Dr. Bernardita Méndez is a Chilean cell biologist and the co-founder and President of Fundación Ciencia & Vida, dedicated to linking research, education, and entrepreneurship.

She earned a Biology degree from the Universidad de Chile, a PhD in Cellular Biology from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, and completed postdoctoral training at the University of California, Berkeley.

Earlier, Méndez spent more than a decade at Chiron Corporation, developing expertise in regulatory affairs and intellectual property while helping translate science into products.

Returning to Chile, she co-founded Fundación Ciencia & Vida (1997) with Pablo Valenzuela and Mario Rosemblatt, an institution that has catalyzed science-based entrepreneurship and international collaboration.

She is a Professor in the PhD Program in Biotechnology at Universidad Andrés Bello and serves on boards including Fundación Chile, Comunidad Mujer, and GrupoBios.

Her applied-science leadership also includes guiding intellectual property and regulatory strategy for Andes Biotechnologies.

In recognition of her contributions to Chilean science and innovation, she received the ICARE Award in 2015.

Today, alongside her role at FCV, Méndez contributes to the venture platform Zentynel Frontier Investments, continuing to connect academia, industry, and investors to advance biomedicine from Chile to the world.