##  [The patient who changed the course of my career](/stories/patient-who-changed-course-my-career "The patient who changed the course of my career") 

 [People and Culture](/tags/category/people-and-culture)

 

 

#  The patient who changed the course of my career 

Nazem Atassi, Development Unit Head for Neuroscience and Gene Therapies, Global Drug Development.



 

 Oct 07, 2026 

### When clinical care wasn’t enough

Throughout my clinical career, I have met many patients whose stories stayed with me. One, in particular, continues to guide my sense of purpose.

While working at Massachusetts General Hospital, I met a woman in her early 40s who had been diagnosed with ALS. She had already seen several neurologists, each confirming the same devastating reality: she had a terminal disease, and there were no treatment options that could meaningfully change the course of it.

“*You’re the fifth neurologist I’m seeing, and you’re the last hope that I have,*” she told me.

The silence that followed was unforgettable. I could offer symptom management, but not the kind of interventions that could change her illness, her life or the lives of her family. In that moment, I thought of all the patients who face similar devastating diagnoses such as Huntington's, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and neuromuscular diseases.

That was when I started to think about whether I should focus on drug development. This way I could hopefully help thousands like her if we were able develop a future therapy that could meaningfully change their prognosis.

 ![Nazem Atassi, Development Unit Head for Neuroscience and Gene Therapies, Global Drug Development.](/sites/novartis_com/files/styles/crop_freeform/public/2026-10/portrait-nazem-atassi.jpg.webp?itok=LuFkrhun "Nazem Atassi, Development Unit Head for Neuroscience and Gene Therapies, Global Drug Development.")

 



  
  
“*My work is grounded in the memory of patients who had few or no treatment options, and in the belief that science can offer a different future. My motivation is not abstract. It’s personal, practical and deeply human.*”

\- **Nazem Atassi**, Development Unit Head for Neuroscience and Gene Therapies, Global Drug Development.







### The scale to change what comes next

My decision to join Novartis came down to three things: the rigorous science, its diverse and robust pipeline and having colleagues with exceptional scientific depth, experience and integrity.

As a physician and neuroscience leader, I have spent years caring for people living with some of the most complex and devastating neurological conditions. Those experiences have shaped not only my career, but also my belief in what becomes possible when innovation, deep expertise and a shared mission come together. For me, this was a chance to make a real difference.

I see Novartis as a place where that ambition can become real. Our portfolio spans neuroimmune, neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases, supported by innovative therapeutic modalities and a community of highly experienced drug developers. What excites me most is the opportunity to work at the frontiers of what scientific discovery can now make possible: identifying promising targets, applying advanced modalities and translating discovery into meaningful progress for patients and families who have waited too long for new options.

### The kindness behind the science

The culture that brings out my best work is one where leadership is defined less by hierarchy and more by influence - building trust, listening deeply, aligning people around a shared purpose and empowering teams to contribute their strongest ideas.

I have found that here in the way colleagues collaborate across boundaries, bring diverse perspectives together and keep those affected by disease at the center of decisions. Even as someone relatively new to the organization, I quickly felt part of a global community.

I felt very welcomed by everyone, and it went beyond just getting to know me. Everybody I met was doing their best to ensure that I succeed in my role. One quality that has stood out to me most is kindness. They are not only kind to each other, but it’s carried through to the way they consider the people we serve and their families in everything they do.

My work is grounded in the memory of patients who had few or no treatment options, and in the belief that science can offer a different future. My motivation is not abstract. It’s personal, practical and deeply human.

That determination continues to drive me: to help advance research that can change the course of neurological diseases, and to do it alongside people who are united to reimagine medicine.



 



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