Today’s guest is Marlena Lee. Marlena is Dimensional Fund Advisor’s (DFA) Global Head of Investment Solutions, leading a team focused on investment thought leadership and client education. She is also a member of DFA’s Investment Research Committee.    Founded in 1981, DFA is a global asset management firm with ~$800B in assets under management, known for successfully applying academic research to practical investing.   Prior to her time at DFA, Marlena served as Co-Head of Research, directing the firm’s global research agenda. Marlena was a teaching assistant for Nobel laureate Eugene Fama at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. She holds a PhD and MBA from Chicago Booth, an MS in agricultural and resource economics, and a BS in managerial economics from UC Davis. (ChatGPT generated Bio)   In this episode, we start by covering Marlena’s academic journey as a TA with Nobel Laureate Professor Gene Fama at the University of Chicago. We pivot to the investment side with a discussion about the Magnificent 7 and what is driving US market performance, an update on factor investing, a brief history of Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA), small c(r)ap investing, the use of Russell 2000 as a benchmark and the dwindling number of public names in US markets.    Today's hosts are Steve Curley, CFA (Founder, 55 North Private Wealth) & co-host Christina Shaffer, CFA (Director of Fixed Income, AllGen Financial)   Please enjoy the episode. You can follow us on Twitter & LinkedIn or at investorsfirstpodcast.com   Show Notes: https://www.dimensional.com https://www.dimensional.com/hk-en/bios/marlena-lee