Basel, Switzerland, February 2026 — James Lau has stepped into the role of Executive Director, Global Portfolio Scientific Communications – Neuroscience and In-Market Brands at Novartis. In this expanded global leadership position, he will lead scientific communications strategy across the neuroscience portfolio and in-market brands, strengthening scientific engagement, evidence dissemination, and medical communications excellence at global scale.
In January 2026, James Lau was promoted to Executive Director, Global Portfolio Scientific Communications – Neuroscience and In-Market at Novartis, marking another major milestone in his growing leadership path across global medical communications and scientific engagement.
Immediately prior to this step-up, he served as Senior Director, Oncology Portfolio (RLT, Solid, Hematology) Medical Communications for about one year, supporting complex global medical communications priorities across oncology portfolios including radioligand therapy and hematology.
Before that, James worked as Director, Solid Tumors Field Medical Content/Strategy and Target Patient Population Health Outcomes, where he contributed to strategic medical content direction and field enablement, supporting outcomes-focused medical strategy across solid tumor priorities.
Earlier, James spent over seven years with Novartis Oncology, progressing through key global roles, including Senior Director, Global Group Scientific Engagement Communications – Breast Cancer, and Director, Global Oncology Solid Tumor MSL and Medical Information – Breast Cancer, after serving as Associate Director, Global Oncology Solid Tumor MSL and Medical Information (Breast Cancer).
In these roles, he supported global oncology launches, medical information strategy, and field medical enablement. His responsibilities included developing Global MSL strategy and tactics to support ribociclib launches in countries worldwide, supporting medical information booths at oncology conferences, interpreting key scientific data and contributing to conference reports, and developing global training curricula for NSCLC and breast cancer portfolios. He also developed global standard medical information responses and gathered/disseminated medical insights from global MSL teams to inform strategic planning.
Prior to joining Novartis, James spent close to six years with Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals as Associate Director, Medical Science Liaison – Cardiovascular Diseases, serving as a scientific resource to clinical experts and allied healthcare professionals. He supported medical information activities at conferences, provided clinical insights from scientific exchange, supported study investigators, and contributed to speaker training meetings for dabigatran. He also led a sub-team developing a mobile medical information process for field-based medicine.
Earlier in his career, he worked at Johnson & Johnson as Senior Virology Medical Information Specialist, where he contributed to product launches, developed and updated standard response letters, responded to medical information inquiries at conferences, evaluated virology data for HCP inquiries, and collaborated to develop the first electronic medical information website across Johnson & Johnson companies.
He also completed a Virology Medical Information Rutgers Fellowship at Bristol-Myers Squibb, where he supported medical review processes, updated literature and product responses, responded to MI inquiries at conferences, and presented new study summaries to Global Medical Affairs teams.
About Novartis
Novartis is an innovative medicines company, working to reimagine medicine to improve and extend people’s lives so that patients, healthcare professionals, and societies are empowered in the face of serious disease. Novartis medicines reach more than 250 million people worldwide, supported by deep scientific capabilities and a strong commitment to evidence-led healthcare impact.
Read Also : When HR “Produces Nothing”: A Response to Jennifer Sey’s Anti-HR Vision
The Fine Balance: Navigating Work, Life, and Mental Wellbeing
Mind the Leadership Gap – From Learning to Real-World Impact
How the Adecco Group is empowering its employees for the future of work
