Nicholas Sachs knows the object of the games is to throw — and roll — strikes. He knows how hitting .300 in baseball is great but rolling a 300 in bowling is greater still. He also knows that striking out or dropping it in the gutter is only a failure if you let it be. Transform that disappointment into a lesson learned? Then someday you can lead the pack developing technology to help people live their best lives. It’s what he’s done since coming to Abbott, first in cardiac rhythm management and now in neuromodulation. Let’s get to know him.
You’d describe your childhood as … I grew up outside of a small town in the Midwest. We didn’t live on a farm, but we lived among them. We spent summers riding bikes and playing baseball and winters building snow forts. Our family was also really into bowling, so we spent our weekends at the bowling alley. Each year we’d pile into the back of my parents’ station wagon and drive across the country to compete in tournaments.
Your 20-words-ish resume … I finished my Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering at USC in 2007 and spent several years teaching and doing research at NJIT, the University of Cape Town and Northwestern before joining St. Jude Medical in 2013. Since then, I’ve worked in the cardiac rhythm management and neuromodulation divisions here.
Why this work, what drew you to it … When I was younger, I was torn between medicine and engineering. I really wanted to help people, but also really loved to tinker and build things. When I realized there was an opportunity to combine the two, it felt like a natural fit.
Your proudest professional moment … The first time I heard an individual describe their experience with a device I helped design. It’s incredibly rewarding to see the difference it makes when we can help ease someone’s burden and allow them to live the life they were meant to.
When you’re not Mr. Sachs, for fun Nick likes to … Play beach volleyball in the summer, snowboard in the winter, and go hiking and backpacking whenever possible. I’m also a huge fan of golf and Formula One. My wife and I are secretly scheming to turn our infant daughter into an outdoor adventurer before she realizes what hit her.
Your dreams for the future … That no individual suffering from a chronic disease has to go without treatment or feel burdened by their condition.
Best advice you ever heard … When things don’t go as planned, forget about blame and focus on the best path forward. If you don’t let them beat you, failures are just steppingstones on the path to success.
Thanks for joining us. Any closing thoughts? Thanks for letting me be a part of this. It is so inspiring to see the stories of the individuals that have been able to benefit from the work that we do and to feel connected to the amazing individuals that make up the Abbott family.
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