Frederick Westhorpe, Ph.D.
Professional Bio
Ethos
My commitment, and my priority, is to create inclusive and empowering environments where people feel valued and supported. I believe great science happens when people collaborate openly, share ideas freely, and celebrate diverse perspectives. My leadership and communication style is rooted in trust, kindness, and a genuine desire to help others excel in their roles.
Biotech & Pharma
As Chief Scientific Officer of Biomia ApS, I am driving drug discovery and development in CNS disorders, using nature's complex chemistry as a guide towards outsized, differentiated human efficacy.
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I began my industry career at Merck Research Labs in South San Francisco (USA), where I established pharmacology strategies for small molecule target identification, hit ID and lead optimisation, and led development across metabolic indications.
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At CuraSen Therapeutics (USA), as a founding employee, I built, scaled, and managed the in vitro pharmacology lab and team. We advanced multiple small-molecule programs targeting GPCR activation in the CNS, including two programs now in clinical trials. CuraSen aims to slow or even reverse symptoms of psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases.
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As Director of Discovery Pharmacology at COMPASS Pathways (UK), I led the pharmacology team and multiple research programs, advancing assets towards clinical readiness. I oversaw multi-million pound annual discovery partnerships and contributed to the preclinical team and R&D portfolio growth strategy.​
Key Achievements:​​​
• Delivered clinical candidates at CuraSen now in Phase 2 trials.
​• Spearheaded preclinical R&D portfolio strategy and established cross-functional teams at COMPASS Pathways.​
• Developed expertise in preclinical drug discovery project oversight from hit identification to clinical readiness, encompassing pharmacology, ADME, safety/tox, CMC, and AI/ML applications.
Academia
My academic journey began at Newcastle University (UK), where I earned a First-Class BSc Honours degree in Human Genetics.
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I then completed a Wellcome Trust-funded Ph.D. in cell biology at the University of Manchester (UK), during which time I discovered pathways controlling cell division, advancing understanding of mechanisms exploited by cancers for rapid growth.​​
Following this, I joined Stanford University’s Department of Biochemistry (USA) as a postdoc, using novel biochemical techniques to study the epigenetic control of genome integrity.
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Key Achievements:​​​
​• Published extensively in high-impact journals, including several first-author papers on cell division and epigenetics.​
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• Developed deep expertise in molecular and cellular biology, biochemistry, and assay development.
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• Mentored numerous students and led initiatives to enhance team collaboration and academic support systems.