Coulter Partners Recruits Chief Scientific Officer for Biomia
July 14, 2025 – Life sciences recruiting specialist Coulter Partners has placed Frederick Westhorpe as chief scientific officer of Biomia. “We are excited to welcome Frederick to Biomia, and confident that his extensive small molecule drug discovery and development expertise will complement the team and guide our company’s next phase of strategic growth,” said Michael Krogh Jensen, Biomia’s co-founder and CEO. “Frederick’s almost-decade long experience in preclinical drug development, and specifically his recognized leadership in progressing CNS small molecule R&D programs to clinical readiness across a variety of CNS indications, will strengthen our capabilities as we advance our pipeline of small molecule therapeutic candidates towards the clinic.”
“We are incredibly pleased with the partnership we’ve had with Coulter Partners throughout this critical search,” he continued. “Their deep understanding of the life sciences landscape and their commitment to finding the perfect fit were instrumental in bringing a leader of Frederick Westhorpe’s caliber to Biomia. This successful placement underscores the value of true collaboration in building a world-class scientific team.”
Dr. Westhorpe brings extensive experience orchestrating portfolio growth strategies across various neurological indications in both startup and mid-sized biotech companies. He is an expert in small molecule pharmacology, lead optimization, and preclinical drug development, with a proven track record of driving CNS research and preparing psychiatry drug discovery programs for clinical trials. Before joining Biomia, Dr. Westhorpe was director of discovery pharmacology at Compass Pathways (U.K.), and he has also held senior leadership positions at Merck Research Labs (U.S.) and CuraSen Therapeutics (U.S.), focusing on in vitro sciences and pharmacology.
“I am thrilled to join Biomia as chief scientific officer,” said Dr. Westhorpe. “Biomia is uniquely positioned to combine nature-inspired chemistry with modern drug discovery, using a biosynthesis platform that unlocks differentiated, disease-relevant molecules with demonstrated human efficacy. Biomia’s robust existing data, translational pharmacology strategy, and human-based evidence for our lead programs made this a compelling opportunity to drive those assets toward the clinic. With a mission-driven and highly capable team already in place, I am excited to help lead the delivery of new treatment options for patients with CNS disorders.”
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“With the continuous development of Biomia’s drug discovery platform and compelling pipeline assets, we’re excited to welcome Frederick as our new chief scientific officer,” said Jie Zhang, Biomia’s co-founder and new chief technology officer. “As I transition into the role of CTO I’ll now be focusing on our manufacturing platform for the efficient biosynthesis and diversification of bioactive small molecule libraries — the core foundation of Biomia’s drug discovery programs. With Frederick joining our leadership team, Biomia’s R&D strategy is now put to play to advance our pipeline and deliver safer, more effective candidates into clinical trials.”
Biomia is a preclinical biotech company that uses synthetic biology, biomanufacturing, and AI to discover and optimize nature-inspired medicines. The company develops novel treatments for CNS disorders like cognitive deficits in mental health, neurodegenerative disorders, and post-surgical pain.
Life Sciences Specialists
Coulter Partners is a board- and senior-level global executive search specialist focused exclusively on life sciences. The firm works closely with those at the cutting edge of innovation in the industry to understand their challenges. With an extensive global network and expertise gained over 25 years in the sector, Coulter Partners is a trusted leadership adviser in the pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical technology, diagnostics, health-tech, CRO, and services sectors.
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Coulter Partners also works closely with the global investor community, hiring for their own teams as well as building the boards and executive leadership teams of their portfolio companies. Coulter Partners’ team of 95 completes over 260 assignments a year working from 14 offices across the U.K., EMEA, the U.S., and APAC.
Bianca Coulter founded Coulter Partners in 2003 and has 25 years’ experience of board and C-level global search, building the leadership teams of early stage, mid-cap, and global multinationals in over 20 countries. Through appointing leadership, Ms. Coulter channels her judgment and expertise to impact patient benefit and assist those at the cutting edge of life science to achieve their goals.
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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
