LONDON– AviadoBio, a pioneering, pre-clinical stage gene therapy company focused on developing and delivering transformative medicines for people with neurodegenerative disorders, today announced the appointment of Jeff Goater as Chair of the AviadoBio Board of Directors, effective immediately. Mr. Goater brings more than 20 years of biotech industry experience including gene therapy expertise to his role.
“Jeff is an experienced biotech executive with a proven track record of bringing much needed therapies into clinical development,” said Lisa Deschamps, Chief Executive Officer. “With his foundation as a research scientist, Jeff understands the potential impact gene therapies could have on people with neurodegenerative diseases. I look forward to working with him as we continue to advance the development of our gene therapies and delivery technology for frontotemporal dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.”
Currently, Mr. Goater serves as a Venture Partner at The Column Group and Interim CEO of Atavistik Bio. In his last position as CEO of Surface Oncology, he fostered an award-winning culture, advanced four programs into clinical development, completed its initial public offering, and secured multiple strategic collaborations, including a transformative partnership with GlaxoSmithKline. Prior to his time at Surface, Mr. Goater served as Chief Financial Officer of Voyager Therapeutics where he was a member of the founding management team. Previously, he spent nearly a decade in investment banking, most recently as a Managing Director at Evercore Partners, advising on more than $100 billion in strategic transactions in the biopharma industry.
“I believe in the transformative potential of gene therapy to help those affected by devastating neurodegenerative diseases,” said Jeff Goater. “I am proud to join the AviadoBio team as we strive to apply a novel gene therapy in a way that targets the root cause of disease, bringing new delivery approaches to treating frontotemporal dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.”
Mr. Goater began his career as a research scientist in the field of AAV gene therapy and holds master’s degrees in microbiology/immunology, pathology, and business administration from the University of Rochester. Mr. Goater currently serves on the boards of Atavistik Bio, Judo Bio, Kallyope, Ribon Therapeutics and Surface Oncology.
