Pfizer appoints chief scientific officer

Pfizer has appointed Dr Ole Isacson as chief scientific officer and senior vice president of its neuroscience research unit, from 16 September.

Dr Isacson joins the pharma giant from Harvard Medical School, where he is a professor of neurology, and will continue to serve in an educational role while at Pfizer.

Having first joined Harvard in 1989, Dr Isacson's work in neurogenerative disorders, particularly for Parkinson's disease, has become internationally renowned with his laboratory now one of the leading academic neurology research centres.

Dr Isacson is a founding director of the Neuroregeneration Institute at McLean Hospital in the US, and currently serves as editor-in-chief of the Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience journal.

Previously, he has been a president of both the American Society for Neural Transplantation and Repair and the international Cell Transplantation Society.

Dr Mikael Dolsten, president of worldwide research and development at Pfizer, said: “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.

“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.”