Our Inspiration: Dr. Mohammed Aziz

Shahid’s late father, Dr. Mohammed Aziz, grew up in a small village in rural Bangladesh. From humble beginnings, he dedicated his life to medical research; ultimately playing a leading role in developing Mectizan – the cure for Ochocerciasis (River Blindness), one of the leading cause of world blindness. It was Dr. Aziz’s passion that convinced then CEO, Dr. P. Roy Vagelos to put Merck’s resources behind the development of this drug as well as develop the “Mectizan Donation Program” in which this drug is donated to nations in the developing world for free distribution. Dr. Aziz passed when Shahid was 16 years old…a few days before he passed he asked Shahid to “make sure you make a difference in this world and never forget where you came from”.