Coulter Partners places Managing Director of Parkinson’s UK
LONDON, October 1, 2025 – Coulter Partners, the global expert building leadership teams for Health, Science and Technology innovation businesses, successfully completed a search assignment for Parkinson’s UK and is pleased to announce the placement of Dr. Lynsey Bilsland as Managing Director of Parkinson’s Virtual Biotech.
The Parkinson’s Virtual Biotech is the global drug discovery and development program of Parkinson’s UK. Driven by the Parkinson’s community, it is investing strategically to deliver crucial life-changing therapies faster.
Dr. Bilsland brings extensive experience in accelerating new treatments, having previously served as the Head of the Mental Health Innovation team at Wellcome, where her focus was on sourcing and developing a global portfolio of interventions and tools to support people with anxiety, depression and psychosis; and Deputy Head of the Innovations Program Team, where she oversaw a diverse global healthcare portfolio and spearheaded the Psychosis Flagship. With a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from UCL and a strong background in molecular and cellular neuroscience and pharmacology, her expertise uniquely positions her to lead the Parkinson’s Virtual Biotech.
Commenting on the appointment, David Dexter, Research Director, Parkinson’s UK said: “Lynsey brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the role and clearly shares our passion for delivering new treatments in years, not decades, whilst embodying all the values of the Parkinson’s Virtual Biotech.”
David Dexter also added: ”This is such a vital role for the charity and the global Parkinson’s community, it was important to get it right. Coulter Partners presented us with incredibly strong and diverse candidates matching the unusual blend of expertise and experience that is needed. They played an instrumental role in helping us find such an exceptional leader.”
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Dr. Lynsey Bilsland, Managing Director of Parkinson’s Virtual Biotech
Dr. Lynsey Bilsland joins Parkinson’s UK bringing extensive experience and a clear passion for accelerating new treatments. Before this role, Dr. Bilsland was Head of the Mental Health Innovation team at Wellcome, where her focus was on developing a global portfolio of interventions and tools to improve outcomes for people with anxiety, depression and psychosis. She has previously been responsible for overseeing development of diverse healthcare portfolios to support research to develop treatments and ultimately improve outcomes for patients.
Having joined Wellcome in 2009, Dr. Bilsland initially worked in the Neuroscience and Mental Health team, managing the molecular and cellular neuroscience portfolio. Prior to Wellcome, she was a postdoctoral research fellow funded by the Motor Neuron Disease Association and Cancer Research UK, researching in vivo imaging methods for Motor Neuron Disease. Dr. Bilsland holds a PhD in Neuroscience from University College London and a BSc (Hons) in Pharmacology from the University of Glasgow.
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Notes to editors:
About Parkinson’s and Parkinson’s UK
Parkinson’s is on the rise. In the UK today, someone is diagnosed every 20 minutes. By 2050, the number of people with Parkinson’s worldwide will double to 25 million.
Parkinson’s UK is the charity that’s here to support every Parkinson’s journey, every step of the way. Wherever you’re from, whatever you need. From searching for a cure and campaigning for better health and care, to funding research into groundbreaking new treatments and running life-changing support services. It’s all driven by one mission: improving life with Parkinson’s.
For more information, please visit: www.parkinsons.org.uk
About Coulter Partners
We are executive search and leadership development specialists working to build a better future. As advisors and consultants to companies at the cutting edge of Health, Science, and Technology, we are united by our mission to build teams that change the world. Operating uniquely as one global team, we have honed our expertise, platform, and data for over two decades, working across three continents, and in 40 countries. Applying what we learn through our work with boards, leadership teams, and investors in the world’s most innovative companies, we bring together and develop the right people at the right time to propel them to achieve their worthwhile goals.
