Helen Colquhoun

Helen Colquhoun is originally from the UK, where she completed a degree in genetics before qualifying in medicine at the University of Edinburgh.  Helen worked in clinical medicine for a few years before joining the biopharmaceutical industry.  She has worked for companies ranging from start-ups to large pharma organizations, as well as for her own contract research business, which she established and expanded in the UK, then brought to the US.  Helen sold that business and joined her current employer, Sage Therapeutics, where she has taken on positions of increasing responsibility and leadership.  Her work is mainly in the clinical development of new drugs; she has held leadership positions in two programs that culminated in approval in the US for medicines to treat post-partum depression.  Helen’s current role at Sage is Senior Vice President, Head of Drug Safety and Pharmacovigilance.

Helen’s main professional interest is in strategic planning: at work, she is deeply involved in strategic, resource, and financial long-term planning and she recently participated in (and thoroughly enjoyed) the ISB strategic planning process.  Helen and John have been associated with ISB as parents for 13 years; their daughter Ishbel is currently in the IB track. The family lives locally in Arlington.