Harvard professor named chief of Pfizer’s neuroscience unit
Neurologist and Harvard professor Ole Isacson, MD, is joining Pfizer as senior vice president and the chief scientific officer of its neuroscience research unit. He begins duties on Sept. 16.
Isacson will continue teaching neurology at Harvard Medical School and maintain his role as a founding director of the Neurogeneration Institute at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts.
“Dr. Isacson’s deep expertise in neurodegenerative disorders is well-aligned with our work in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, where we are working to advance potential breakthrough therapies to fill the tremendous unmet need that exists for patients,” said Mikael Dolsten, president of worldwide research and development at Pfizer, in a statement. “In addition, his strong ties in the local academic community will be important as our Cambridge site continues to drive collaborations with leading scientific and academic institutions that can help us speed the pace of discovery.”
Isacson received his medical degree from the University of Lund in Sweden and completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at Cambridge University in England. He joined Harvard in 1989, where his lab has been recognized for its research on Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.
His appointment is the last of an overhaul of Pfizer’s top employees. For a full list of promotions and hires, click here.
Senior Writer
As a Senior Writer for TriMed Media Group, Katherine primarily focuses on producing news stories, Q&As and features for Cardiovascular Business. She reports on several facets of the cardiology industry, including emerging technology, new clinical trials and findings, and quality initiatives among providers. She is based out of TriMed's Chicago office and holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Columbia College Chicago. Her work has appeared in Modern Healthcare, Crain's Chicago Business and The Detroit News. She joined TriMed in 2016.