Meet Martin & Mira Thelin, Physician/Scientists, Humanitarians

WE MET FOR THE FIRST TIME AT OUR Annual Meeting a year ago, when Martin signed up to become a member of our Church. His grandfather was a priest, and Martin married Mira in Lebanon, where she grew up in the Maronite Church, which has roots dating back to ca. 400 AD. The whole family has now found a new home in our beautiful church, which they love. As an alumnus of Lund who also spent time in East Africa—myself in 1968 and Martin during his medical studies—and having studied tropical medicine at the American Hospital in Beirut in the summer of 1972, I feel privileged and proud to know this brilliant couple and their beautiful children.

How did you discover the Church of Sweden in SF?

We discovered the Church quite simply by walking past it one day. The sight of the Swedish and Scandinavian flags flying outside immediately caught our attention. We were drawn in by this beautiful place and found it to be very warm and welcoming.

Where did you meet?

We met at an immunology conference in New Hampshire. It was autumn, and the vibrant foliage provided a beautiful backdrop. I saw Mira, and we eventually sat down to talk. She shared her engaging story about growing up in Lebanon, and I shared my roots in Sweden. We connected deeply over our shared values and interests.

We later got married in Zahle, Lebanon, in 2017. It was a massive milestone, not just for us, but for my Swedish family and friends who traveled there to celebrate. For many of them, visiting the Middle East involved stepping out of their comfort zones, and some even felt a bit of apprehension beforehand. However, those fears quickly vanished once they arrived. It was exciting for them to experience a totally different culture—the warmth, the hospitality, and the vibrant traditions of Lebanon. It became a beautiful memory of our two worlds coming together. Today, we are the proud parents of two wonderful small children who are growing up with this rich dual heritage.

How did you decide to study medicine and become pediatrician-scientists?

I was born in Lund, Sweden. My parents were high school teachers, so I grew up in an academic environment with my two older siblings. Although my grandfather was a priest, we did not attend church frequently while I was growing up. My wife, Mira, comes from a different background; she grew up in a Catholic environment in Zahle, Lebanon, where she attended French Catholic schools run by nuns.

Mira was a dedicated student who took academics very seriously from a young age. One of the books she read early on was about Marie Curie, which had a profound impact on her. Inspired by Curie, she began conducting her own experiments with yogurt in the kitchen. Her childhood dream was to study at the Institut Curie in Paris, a dream she eventually realized when she moved there to complete her PhD in immunology.

My own decision to pursue medicine was driven by an interest in biology and an urge to help people. However, my specific focus changed during a pediatrics rotation in my fifth year of medical school. I was deeply struck by the burden that children with Type 1 Diabetes and their families have to carry. Even with technological advances like insulin pumps and glucose monitors, families still live with a constant fear of high and low blood sugar. I realized that dependence on these devices limits life. This experience compelled me to pivot my research; I wanted to do more than just treat symptoms. My vision is to develop treatments that stop the disease process entirely and preserve the body's own insulin production.

Also, during medical school, I traveled to Uganda and saw villages devastated by HIV. This led me to co-found the "Katunguru Women's Initiative," where we sold handicrafts in Sweden to support vulnerable women in Uganda. That experience cemented my belief in the importance of advocating for patients who cannot advocate for themselves.

Academic Journey: Tell us briefly about your studies in Lund and Lebanon and how you both moved to Boston/Harvard.

Our academic journeys started from two different directions before converging in Boston. My wife’s path took her from her hometown of Zahle to the Lebanese University in Beirut for her undergraduate studies in biochemistry. From there, she moved to the Institut Curie in Paris for her PhD, and finally to Boston for postdoctoral research on primary immunodeficiencies.

My journey took me from Lund to Boston to do research at the Joslin Diabetes Center at Harvard Medical School. There, I worked on identifying and blocking the specific immune cells that cause diabetes. We even worked on engineering cells to fight autoimmunity, which was fascinating work.

Following my time in Boston, I moved to San Francisco to complete my residency in pediatrics and my fellowship in pediatric endocrinology at UCSF. Now, I work as a physician-scientist, splitting my time between caring for children with lipid disorders and diabetes, and working in the lab to find the underlying causes of Type 1 Diabetes.

Life in San Francisco: When and why did you move to San Francisco?

In 2017, we moved to San Francisco so I could pursue my specialist training at UCSF. UCSF is a world-leading institution for diabetes research, with a very collaborative environment where doctors and scientists work together to find cures. It was the perfect place for me to combine clinical care with my research goals.

My wife has transitioned to the biotech industry here in the Bay Area, with her company located in South San Francisco. She is currently working on developing novel cell-based therapies to treat cancer and autoimmunity. It is exciting work that perfectly fits the innovative spirit of this region.

What are your favorite places and activities for leisure time? What do you like best at the Church of Sweden SF? What can be done better for families like yours?

Much of our leisure time is spent chasing after our two small children, aged one and five — they certainly keep us busy! We love taking advantage of the city’s many parks and museums; the Exploratorium and the California Academy of Sciences are family favorites.

As for the Church of Sweden, we truly love the welcoming community. It provides a peaceful environment that feels like a sanctuary to us. We are deeply thankful for everything that is done here. Our son, Sami, particularly enjoys the fika right after the service—and honestly, we all do!

It is wonderful meeting Priest Joakim and the lovely community members. We also cherish the specific traditions like the Lucia celebrations and the music and play sessions. Regarding what could be done better, we are very grateful for the current activities, but we would simply love to see even more initiatives that bring families together. Activities that help our children connect with Swedish and Scandinavian traditions and language are invaluable to us, so expanding on those opportunities would be wonderful.