• Skills People And Talent

CEO Update | 27 March 2023

The UK Government published last week the long-awaited response to the consultation on proposals to improve the UK clinical trials legislation, with a foreword by life science champions Sir John Bell and Sir Jon Symonds. These reforms represent the biggest overhaul in UK clinical trials regulation in over 20 years and will make the UK one of the best countries to conduct clinical research for the benefit of patients and the life sciences sector. Continue reading for details on upcoming events, UK Parliament scrutiny of SVB Collapse, and more.

BIA launched first of its kind Diversity and Inclusion report for UK biotech and life sciences

The importance of building a thriving, diverse workplace is a widely recognised priority across all industries. The first of its kind sector data analysis by the BioIndustry Association (BIA) demonstrates strong inclusivity and an overall level of diversity in talent working within the UK innovative life sciences and biotech sector. The new state of the nation report, Diversity and Inclusion in UK Biotech, also reveals significant diversity gaps across disciplines, management levels and demographic traits which require action at both a company and sector level.

Unlocking the power of Virtual Reality to overcome anxiety and phobias

XR Therapeutics is a start-up company, spun out of Newcastle University, helping people to overcome their phobias or anxiety using Virtual Reality technology. We spoke with Penny Day, Head of Operations, about the role of virtual reality in mental health treatment, and how XR is making waves in this space.

CEO Update | 20 March 2023

The Budget last week had major wins for BIA members including changes to R&D tax credits rates for loss-making SMEs. Read our press release and Martin’s analysis blog. This is a major, major win for a BIA campaign and wouldn’t have happened without member engagement and perseverance. Many thanks to all who helped – this non dilutive government co-investment will make all the difference as you crowd in private sector investment.

Sustaining skills to supercharge the UK life sciences sector

Medicines Discovery Catapult celebrates British Science Week 2023

Coulter Partners places Vice President of Intellectual Property at Amphista Therapeutics

Coulter Partners, the global experts in Executive Search and Leadership Development in Life Sciences, Health and Tech, recently partnered with Amphista Therapeutics to further strengthen their team in Cambridge with the appointment of Dr Victoria Lovatt as Vice President of Intellectual Property.

Coulter Partners D, E & I Interview Series: Industry perspectives with Charlotte Valeur

In the latest installment of our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Leadership series, we spoke to Charlotte Valeur, an experienced Non-Executive Director and listed company Chair. Charlotte brings over 35 years of executive and governance experience, and as an advocate of Neurodiversity, she founded Institute Of Neurodiversity, ION. Charlotte talks about her late diagnosis of autism, the importance of talking about Neurodiversity, and what she hopes the ION can achieve for others.

Tackling gender-related hurdles in STEM

Meet Chiara Bacchelli, Precision Medicine & Human Genetics Lead at Lifebit. Despite the hurdles she faced whilst pursuing a career in STEM, Chiara has not only already published over 60 scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals covering genomic and precision medicine, she has also led her team into the discovery of over 40 novel gene defects in rare disease paediatric patients, shortening their diagnostic odyssey. 

Women in Innovation Programme winners announced!

The Innovate UK Women in Innovation Programme announced a cohort of 50 trailblazing women entrepreneurs who are tackling some of our most pressing environmental, economic, and societal challenges. The winners of the annual competition will embark on a 12-month journey and benefit from a bespoke business-boosting support package. This includes a cash injection of £50,000 each, tailored business coaching offered by Innovate UK EDGE, mentoring and a wide range of networking, role-modelling and training opportunities.

£250m to secure the UK’s world-leading position in technologies of tomorrow

Today (6 March 2023) UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) confirms £250m to be invested in artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and engineering biology.