Marcello Patané

Managing Principal, Common Synapse

Overview

I’m Managing Principal at Common Synapse, a Basel-based consultancy specialising in multilingual social listening and patient and consumer insights.

I analyse online conversations across markets, working with data in languages including English, Italian, German and French. My studies explore people’s experiences, unmet needs, treatment perceptions and barriers to adoption, helping clients understand shared patterns and local differences. These findings inform research, strategy and communications.

My background includes leading global social listening and insights programmes at Biogen and Novartis, alongside earlier global digital insights work at Nestlé. My healthcare focus includes neurology, immunology and rare diseases, with broader experience in consumer research. Recent studies have explored optic neuritis, progressive MS, and sleep and cognition across ADHD and menopause.

I’m available to lead standalone studies or contribute a social listening component to broader qualitative and quantitative projects. I can support the full process, from research design and query development to analysis, reporting and client presentations.

I work remotely with independent researchers, agencies and client teams on project-based collaborations, including multilingual and multi-market studies.

Explore examples of my work and research:

Services

  • Multilingual social listening: studies across languages, markets and online platforms, identifying shared patterns and local differences.
  • Patient and caregiver insights: lived experiences, unmet needs, treatment journeys, information gaps and barriers to adoption.
  • Consumer and brand insights: brand perceptions, category conversations, decision drivers and emerging needs.
  • Treatment and competitive intelligence: understanding how patients and healthcare professionals discuss therapies, alternatives and treatment expectations.
  • Research design and analysis: study scoping, query development, data review, qualitative coding and synthesis.
  • Reporting and research collaboration: standalone studies or dedicated social listening workstreams within broader qualitative and quantitative projects, including reports, recommendations and client presentations.

About

I’m Marcello Patané, Managing Principal at Common Synapse, based in Basel, Switzerland.

I bring more than 18 years of experience across insights, digital and marketing, including leading global social listening programmes at Biogen and Novartis and earlier global digital insights work at Nestlé.

My recent independent work includes patient research for Pheno Therapeutics and AstronauTx, exploring optic neuritis, progressive MS, and sleep and cognition.

I combine structured analysis with careful interpretation of online conversations, keeping findings connected to their original context and the client’s research question. I work directly with clients and research partners, from shaping the brief through to discussing the findings and their implications.