Coulter Partners Recruits Chief Scientific Officer for ExpressionEdits
March 31, 2025 – Life sciences recruiting specialist Coulter Partners has helped to recruit Amrik Basran as chief scientific officer of ExpressionEdits. “Amrik’s extensive experience in biologics development makes him an invaluable addition to ExpressionEdits,” said Kärt Tomberg, co-founder and CEO of ExpressionEdits. “His leadership will be key as we expand from platform innovation to therapeutic development, ensuring our technology delivers real impact for patients. We greatly valued Coulter Partners‘ extensive network and industry experience. They presented us with a diverse pool of talent, which enabled us to select Amrik, the ideal chief scientific officer for this stage of our company.”
Dr. Basran brings over two decades of experience in biologic drug discovery and development, spanning early-stage research to clinical application. He previously served as chief scientific officer at Avacta Life Sciences, where he led the development of an antibody mimetic scaffold, driving programs from discovery through to large scale manufacturing. He also held the CSO role at Curadh MTR and was chief discovery officer at Turbine.AI, applying AI-driven approaches to drug discovery.
Earlier in his career, Dr. Basran held senior scientific roles at Domantis and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), where he was instrumental in the development of domain antibodies and other protein-based therapeutics. His expertise spans biological scaffolds, antibody mimetics, and targeted protein therapies, with experience in half-life extension strategies, targeted radiopharmaceuticals, and novel drug delivery approaches across oncology and inflammatory diseases.
As chief scientific officer, Dr. Basran will lead the translation of ExpressionEdits’ intronization technology into a pipeline of innovative therapeutics, starting with recombinant protein therapeutics. His focus will be on advancing the company’s internal programs from early research through clinical translation, ensuring that its cutting-edge gene optimization platform directly drives the development of next-generation biologic medicines.
ExpressionEdits is a pioneering biotechnology company dedicated to enhancing protein expression using advanced AI and proprietary intron technology. Headquartered in Cambridge, U.K., ExpressionEdits is committed to advancing genetic medicine through innovative research and development.
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.
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.
Related: Coulter Partners Recruits Chief Medical Officer for Bausch Health
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.
Recent Work
Coulter Partners recently assisted in the recruitment of Jonathan Sadeh as executive vice president, chief medical officer and head of R&D at NYSE-traded Bausch Health Companies Inc. Antonietta Baffa, Lilyana Chukova, and Nona Footz led the assignment. “We are delighted to welcome Jonathan as our new head of research and development,” said Thomas J. Appio, CEO at Bausch Health. “His extensive experience and innovative vision will be invaluable as we continue to enhance our pipeline and strive for groundbreaking advancements.”
Coulter Partners Forms Alliance with the Institute of Neurodiversity
Coulter Partners has formed a partnership with the Institute of Neurodiversity (ION). As a global neurodiversity changemaking organization and community, ION looks to foster awareness, acceptance, and appreciation of neurodiversity. They work with organizations, governments, the third sector, educators, and policymakers to raise awareness and advocate for policies that support neurominority inclusion. “We believe that our partnership with ION will enhance our understanding and deepen our knowledge,” said Bianca Coulter, CEO of Coulter Partners. “This will enable us to better support neurominorities and advocate change, as well as have measurable impact on good governance and transparency.”
Dr. Sadeh brings experience and a proven track record both as a physician-scientist and a leader in the pharmaceutical industry. He has over 20 years of expertise in clinical research and drug development. Most recently, at Bristol-Meyers Squibb, Dr. Sadeh was responsible for multiple drug approvals in dermatology and gastroenterology and held several key roles including senior vice president and global programs head for immunology, cardiovascular and neuroscience, immunology therapeutic area head, as well as the China R&D head.
Bausch Health is a global company that develops, manufactures and markets a range of products primarily in gastroenterology, hepatology, neurology, dermatology, dentistry, aesthetics, and international pharmaceuticals.
Related: Coulter Partners Assists NeoPhore with CEO Search
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
