Nadia Zakaria

Nadia Zakaria is an accomplished Executive Director of Translational Medicine at Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR) since November 2017, specializing in the design and execution of translational medicine trials in early drug development, particularly in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic macular edema (DME), and rare diseases. In addition to this role, Nadia serves as a Guest Professor at the University of Antwerp, focusing on Stem Cell Therapy in Ophthalmology, and leads a scientific research team at the University Hospital Antwerp, concentrating on corneal repair and regeneration. Nadia holds a PhD in Ophthalmology from the University of Antwerp, with a research focus on cultivated limbal stem cell transplantation, and an MBBS from Karachi University. Previous experience includes a role as a doctor in geriatric medicine at Colchester General Hospital.