Throughout Myriam Mendila’s life, cancer has been ever-present. When she was only 8 years old, breast cancer took her mother. Later, her sister was diagnosed with the disease, and Mendila watched dear friends weather cancer odysseys of their own.

Witnessing the enduring impact of the disease is what inspired Mendila – now Chief Medical Officer and Global Head of Medical Affairs at Novartis Oncology – to dedicate her professional life to helping find potential treatments for people with cancer. It’s also what made her well aware that, while so much of the world stopped for COVID-19, …