Abasi Ene-Obong

"I would not describe myself as an innovator. I think I am doing the work that needs to be done. If I am an innovator, perhaps it’s because I faced this challenge head-on and was persistent as well as fortunate in timing. I am lucky that our work is making an impact."

"I think very positively. It should not take a pandemic to align stakeholders and drive innovation at a scale not typically seen before. Maybe thinking about how we can all work to prevent the next pandemic can keep us all aligned"

"The only sustainable model for healthcare innovation looks in equal parts at rich and poor regions, regardless of ethnic or cultural lines. This also means healthcare must become more collaborative. My only fear is history repeating itself, where the strong “prey” on the weak. Today’s generation of leaders must seek to do things differently, particularly in the healthcare space, to ensure there is a win-win mindset as an acceleration of technology and funding creates more value."

"I don’t know, but I know I don’t know it all! I believe the entrepreneurship journey is one of discovery. Always stay learning and never think you know everything. Be open to change. Allow growth to happen, and don’t fight it. Find joy and happiness in the little things. And enjoy the work you do!"

"I see the impact of genomics increasing across all scientific disciplines, and that is a great thing! Healthcare will get increasingly personalised, and treatments will get very specific to disease subtypes – this is already happening. Genomics will also accelerate the pace of development of such treatments. One more thing, I believe genomics will show us over time just how connected yet different we are, and that will have a significant social and cultural impact."

"Innovation is being driven by all stakeholders. However, I do think the voice we hear the least is that of the patients. In an ideal world, the drive for innovation should come significantly from the patients. In the end, Pharma, Providers, Payers and Doctors really work for the patient. And I believe now and increasingly into the future that the patient will have a stronger share of voice in driving innovation. With the increase of social media, accessibility to information, and patient advocacy groups, patients are demanding better care and better services. And, as I spoke about earlier, healthcare and treatment is becoming more and more personalised, which means whether an individual patient vocalises their needs or not, their genetics certainly will; and that has a profound influence on driving innovation upon pharma, providers, payers, and physicians."