Employee profiles: Barbara Nuesslein-Hildesheim

Developing drugs that save lives

Barbara Nuesslein-Hildesheim, Program Team and Laboratory Head, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Switzerland, is motivated by the opportunity to develop life saving medicines at Novartis: "I lead a laboratory team dedicated to validating new targets in transplantation research and profiling new compounds for the treatment of transplant rejection. Currently I am working on the development of medicines that interfere with transplant rejection and treat autoimmune diseases, with fewer side effects than medicines currently on the market.

Two things keep me motivated and engaged. First is the goal of developing a drug that saves lives or improves the quality of life for patients. The medicines that my colleagues and I work on would be extremely valuable for transplant patients, and perhaps for autoimmune disease patients. The ultimate goal would be to accompany a new drug on its way to clinical trials.

My other motivation is my interest in understanding the science behind new drug targets. Working at Novartis means working in one of the largest global pharmaceutical companies, where you have the opportunity to interact with highly qualified experts every day."

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