Agilex Biolabs has appointed Dr Kurt Sales as its new chief scientific officer.
Dr Sales has extensive experience in applied and academic research, preclinical drug development, clinical study support, and business development and management.
In 2021, Dr Sales led the company in establishing a state-of-the-art, $1.5 million specialised bioanalytical laboratory for vaccines and immunotherapy.
“Kurt is a perfect fit in this role, his experience and innovative spirit have been critical to some of our recent service expansions. His transition into this new leadership role feels like a very natural evolution for Agilex,” said CEO Jason Valentine.
“He keeps a finger on the pulse of what’s new and promising in therapeutics and has a knack for anticipating what kind of tools and support customers need for success. That instinct paired with his scientific excellence positions Kurt to lead our team in building robust new service areas and staying at the forefront of innovation.”
Dr Sales started his career in the medical field, gravitating toward pharmacology and neuroscience after losing two close family members to cancer and neurocognitive disease.
“From that experience I developed a deep passion and was really driven towards a cure, or at least to provide information that would help the medical field understand why these things happen as we get older and how we can improve treatment for patients,” said Dr Sales.
Dr Sales joined Agilex Biolabs in 2017. He has championed scientific engagement efforts and expanded support offerings to include immunobiology, cell and gene therapy, and vaccines.
In his new role, Dr Sales’ primary focus will be on the newest facility at the Agilex Biolabs campus focused on large molecule bioanalysis.
“As Chief Scientific Officer, I have the opportunity to leverage my experience to accelerate promising therapies through the clinic so they can get to patients who need them – it’s amazing to work with a group of passionate scientists who all have the same goal," he said.
