Pharmpreneur of the week Andrea Edginton: ‘I have consistently married research and real-world application.’

SnapshotEducation:Ph.D. Environmental Toxicology, Department of Environmental Biology, University of Guelph, ON, 1999-2004BSc., Department of Environmental Biology, University of Guelph, ON, 1994-1999 Role/Title:Hallman Director, School of Pharmacy, University of Waterloo, ON, Waterloo 2021-presentCOO/President, MAPflow Inc, 2022-presentProfessor, School of Pharmacy, University of Waterloo, ON, 2019-presentPresident, Design2Code Inc (Consultancy company specializing in PK modeling and related software design, development and application) 2015-present What was your key driving force to become an entrepreneur?I am inherently a problem solver and this is where I feel most powerful and do my best work. I started at the new School of Pharmacy in 2008 when there were only a handful of faculty, and everyone was trying to get a professional program off the ground. This attracts a certain type of risk taker and I like to be involved in this start-up environment with these types of people. Throughout my time in industry, academia and consulting, a key driving force for my entrepreneurship has been leveraging research and expertise to impact the lives of others. When we started MAPflow Inc., the goal was to bring Dr. Nardine Nakhla’s expertise in minor ailments and self-care to pharmacists in Canada to support them in practising to their full scope. There was an immediate need as of January 2023 in Ontario and it was exciting to be part of the solution with the advent of MAPflow.How has your entrepreneurial career evolved since your graduation?I have been involved in digital health technology since my early post-PhD years. Specifically, I was an early developer (since 2004) of pharmacokinetic modeling and simulation technology when I worked at Bayer in Germany. From there, I became president of Design 2 Code Inc., which creates scientific software that I also use for consulting pharmaceutical companies on clinical trial planning. Following this in 2016, I linked with a hematologist at McMaster University to create a global platform for pharmacokinetic dose optimization of factor concentrates in Hemophilia, WAPPS-Hemo.org, that is used in 50+ countries and contains the largest global database of factor concentrate pharmacokinetic data. And finally, as of 2022, I founded MAPflow Inc. to address minor ailment assessment and prescribing needs of pharmacists. I have consistently married research and real-world application since my graduation. As a successful entrepreneur, what continues to drive you?I’m driven by my commitment to my various teams. These include the exceptional staff and faculty at the School of Pharmacy, my research team, and my MAPflow team and MAPflow clients. What are the biggest challenges to being an entrepreneur?I have a lot of roles, and the focus needed to bring a product to fruition or task to completion can be extensive. As a result, time is one of the biggest challenges for me. I am a mom to two teenagers in rep sports, so balancing it all makes for interesting times!What books/resources do you recommend for every entrepreneur to check out?MAPflow Inc. has been fortunate to be part of the competitive Accelerator Centre Studio business incubator and that’s been so helpful. They provide a network of mentors who can guide us on a wide range of business issues. You don’t know what you don’t know and they help us cover our blind spots, which is exceptionally important.What advice would you give to colleagues who want to become entrepreneurs?My advice to new colleagues wanting to become entrepreneurs is: learn how to build and manage a competent and driven team; clearly define the problem that you are trying to solve before you build the technology; if you are open enough to learn and to surround yourself with people who are experts in this space, you can build a wonderful career in pharmacy.LinkedIn: @SherifGuorguiInstagram: @SherifGuorguiFacebook: @Sherif Seif GuorguiX: @Sherif_Guorgui

Pharmpreneur of the week Andrea Edginton: ‘I have consistently married research and real-world application.’

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