Hesham A. Abdullah
Senior Vice President and Global Head of Oncology Research and Development, GSK
Meet Hesham A. Abdullah
Hesham has more than 20 years of experience leading R&D teams at global pharmaceutical companies. He has led the development of 12 novel precision oncology therapies and currently leads a team of 300+ global researchers at GSK focusing on novel technologies and precision medicine to develop innovative cancer treatments. Using advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, digital pathology, and tumor modelling, Hesham champions approaches that help facilitate the identification of modalities with a higher probability of success, with a focus on patient populations with significant unmet needs.
“While I have always had a passion for science and medicine, my work took on an even deeper meaning following two cancer diagnoses in my family. After witnessing my father's relentless three-and-a-half-year battle with colorectal cancer, which ultimately led to his passing, another close family member was diagnosed with advanced cancer just two months later. Their physical and emotional challenges with these diseases profoundly impacted me and inspired my desire to have an even greater impact on improving outcomes, quality of life, and care for people with cancer.”