UCB’s Camille Lee on Authentic Leadership and Patient-Centered Innovation

In clinical research, Camille Lee believes progress depends on continually pushing boundaries. She emphasized the need to elevate standards of care beyond what is traditionally accepted.

When childhood meningitis left Camille Lee with hearing loss, her parents refused to let it define her. Instead, they encouraged her to view it as a lesson in adaptability.

“My parents empowered me to be me and to advocate for what I needed and not really look at the fact that I have a disability,” she said.

That lesson would shape both her personal outlook and professional journey. As Head of US Immunology at UCB, Lee channels that early resilience into leadership that prioritizes empathy, inclusion and authenticity.

“That ability to have that resilience and that comfort within myself to share that experience translates into authenticity as a leader,” she explained.

For Lee, being open about her hearing loss has helped normalize vulnerability within her organization. She frequently shares her experience with teams to set the tone for trust and openness.

“When someone can be who they are, then that authenticity comes through,” she said. “With that authenticity comes self-esteem. And with self-esteem comes self-confidence.”

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Listening Beyond Words

Hearing impairment taught Lee that true listening goes far beyond what’s spoken. “When you’re hearing impaired, listening becomes more than just hearing words,” she explained. “It became listening to the whole story of what people were telling me so I could connect and engage with them and be empathetic with them.”

That skill, noticing tone, expression and emotion, influences how she leads and collaborates. It also informs how UCB engages with patients and clinicians across immunology programs. By emphasizing listening as an act of empathy rather than transaction, Lee has built a culture where understanding precedes action.

Her approach extends into decision-making. “As much as I allow myself to be authentic, whether it’s a health challenge or just, ‘Hey, I don’t have the answer,’ it enables others to see that I can ask those same questions,” she said. This leadership style, rooted in transparency, has inspired others to bring their full selves to work.

Redefining Patient-Centricity

At UCB, patient centricity is not an abstract value, but a daily practice woven into every business decision. “It’s easy to say we’re patient-centric, and oftentimes they don’t know what that means,” said Lee. “What that means is spending time with patients; listening to them, feeling what their journey’s been like, understanding, asking them questions, being curious.”

Her teams take part in immersive patient preceptorship experiences that allow them to spend days learning from patients and healthcare professionals. One such program focused on hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), a chronic inflammatory skin condition that often takes years to diagnose.

“When you sit and listen to a patient talk about the seven, eight, ten years that they have gone through… you listen to their stories and you’re crying with them because you’re feeling it,” she said.

These firsthand encounters have led to tangible change. They inspired initiatives such as UCB’s HS Summit, which brings together patients, clinicians and advocates to share experiences and explore solutions for earlier diagnosis and better care.

“When patients talk to each other, it removes that isolation,” said Lee. “And when doctors listen to those same stories, it drives change.”

This bridge between patients and clinicians fuels new ideas, from awareness campaigns and physician education to digital tools that help patients track their symptoms and communicate with their healthcare providers more effectively.

Challenging the Standard of Care

In clinical research, Lee believes progress depends on continually pushing boundaries.

She emphasized the need to elevate standards of care beyond what is traditionally accepted.

“Why should you stop at 90% [skin clearance]?” she asked. “Shouldn’t you strive for 100%?”

She described how complacency can limit outcomes, both for clinicians and patients.

Lee also highlighted the importance of bringing patients into clinical trials earlier in their disease journey, where intervention can make the greatest impact.

“How do you recruit patients into trials that help them get timely treatment?” she asked, a question that continues to guide her team’s approach to clinical research strategy.

Building Inclusion in Clinical Trials

Diversity in clinical research remains a challenge across autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Lee sees inclusion as an ethical and scientific imperative. “You have so many different cultures that are influenced by the partnership with the scientific arena, which then results in a skew in the patients and clinical trials,” she said.

To address this, UCB collaborates with clinical trial centers that reflect the diversity of the broader patient population. That means engaging not just individuals, but the families and caregivers who support them.

Cultural understanding also plays a critical role. “We know that in the Hispanic community, there’s a bit of a caution in working within the scientific arena and being in clinical trials. Do we trust the doctors? Do we trust science and medicine?” said Lee.

She emphasized the importance of reflecting on how to work with different communities to help them gain confidence to consider being part of clinical research.

Emerging tools like AI, she added, could help identify patients more effectively and support retention through trial designs that align with participants’ lifestyles.

Education as Empowerment

Lee sees patient education as one of the most powerful tools in improving care and accelerating diagnosis.

“It is so critical to have and help patients be educated,” she said. “Dr. Google is a very popular place to go to for education. It doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the most accurate place.”

Through partnerships with advocacy groups and clinicians, UCB helps patients access reliable information and forums where they can ask questions freely.

“It empowers a patient to own their disease and to really be empowered to say, I’m going to make a difference, and I’m going to ask the doctors these questions,” she explained.

For diseases like HS, where diagnosis can take seven to ten years, improved awareness can have a major effect. “How can we shorten [diagnosis times]? That is what we’re tackling,” Lee said.

Looking Ahead: Empowering Patients to Live Fully

Lee envisions a future where early diagnosis and patient empowerment redefine the trajectory of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

“Some of the most promising research can help us shorten that diagnosis time to be able to help patients get their drugs sooner so that they can live their lives,” she said.

“I really am a proponent of people being able to live their life with a disease versus a disease managing their life.”

Ultimately, her greatest motivation comes from the people whose lives are changed by her team’s work.

“What excites me the most is the patient who comes up to me and says, ‘Because of what was done, I can now live my life… and go out and do what I dream to do,’” said Lee. “It makes my day, it makes my month, it can make my year.”