Arti Patel
Principal Scientist & Neuroscience Program Lead Novartis
Arti Patel, Ph.D., is a Principal Scientist II and Lab Head in the Translational Neuroscience Unit at Novartis Biomedical Research in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Since joining Novartis Neuroscience in 2017, she has led cross-functional, globally distributed teams to advance novel therapeutic strategies for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) across multiple modalities, including small molecules, RNAi, and gene therapy. She also co-leads the Neurodegeneration Task Force, helping shape portfolio strategy, drive pipeline program advancement, and identify high-impact academic and industry partnerships. Dr. Patel’s expertise bridges preclinical drug discovery and translation, spanning human genetics and AI-enabled target discovery, human iPSC-derived neuronal and glial platforms, in vivo efficacy models, and biomarker development. Prior to Novartis, she trained in biochemistry and neuroimmunology at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, Massachusetts.
Seminars
This workshop will explore the shared genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), providing insights into converging pathways that may inform novel therapeutic strategies. Participants will examine the latest discoveries in disease causing mutations, modifier genes, and cryptic exon biology, and discuss how these findings are guiding target identification and translational research. The session will also cover approaches to leverage genetic insights for biomarker development, patient stratification, and the design of mechanism-based clinical trials. Attendees will gain a clearer understanding of the genetic intersections between ALS and FTD and the implications for next-generation therapies.
Key Discussion Points
- Genetic overlap between ALS and FTD and how shared pathways contribute to disease progression
- Insights from discovery programs and translational research into novel targets and modifier genes
- Integration of genetic findings into biomarker development and patient stratification for clinical trials
- Opportunities and challenges in leveraging genetic insights to design mechanism-based therapies across ALS and FTD
- VHB937 is a novel human mAb that binds microglial TREM2, stabilizing membrane TREM2 and activating signaling.
- VHB937 demonstrates neuroprotective activity across multiple models of neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation.
- In healthy participants, treatment with VHB937 decreased microglial biomarker (sCSF1R) and proinflammatory biomarkers (Spp1, Ccl3).
- VHB937 is being investigated in a phase 2 study to evaluate efficacy and safety in participants with ALS in the ASTRALS study (NCT06643481).
