The Foldvari Lab Group: Daniella Calderon, Monica Chung, Lokesh Narsineni, Marianna Foldvari, Roger Chen and Carla Sciarretta.
Last week, Professor Marianna Foldvari received the Association of Faculties of Pharmacy of Canada (AFPC) Pfizer Research Career Award at the AFPC conference in Quebec City. The award recognizes Foldvari’s success as a leader in pharmaceutical sciences research.
Trained as a pharmacist at Semmelweis University in Hungary, Foldvari earned her PhD from Dalhousie University before joining the faculty at the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition at the University of Saskatchewan. Foldvari was one of the first faculty members hired at the University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy where she was appointed as Canada Research Chair in Bionanotechnology and Nanomedicine and Associate Director of Graduate Studies and Research.
Foldvari is one of only a handful of researchers worldwide who focuses on non-invasive gene and drug delivery. In particular, her lab examines delivering transdermal and intraocular treatments, or treatments through the skin and eyes. The AFPC Pfizer award acknowledges her significant research output on this topic: she has published widely in this area, with over 150 peer-reviewed research papers in print and has given over 200 presentations at national and international conferences. Her expertise in her field is evident from her position as associate editor of Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine, a premier scientific journal.
In addition to her success as a researcher, Foldvari is adept at the often challenging task of translating research discoveries into clinical applications. A number of technologies developed in her lab have moved forward for commercial development and resulted in 26 patents. As the founder of several start-up companies based on her research, she spurs job creation in Canada and furthers scientific and therapeutic advances. The importance of her research is recognized in the approximately $23 million dollars in grant funding her work has received over her career.
Foldvari is also dedicated to advancing education and has served in several administration roles at post-secondary institutions. She contributed substantially to the development of Waterloo Pharmacy’s graduate program and continues to foster student learning and success. She teaches regularly in the undergraduate and graduate program and is a dedicated supervisor to her graduate students.
Throughout her impressive career pioneering cutting-edge technology, Foldvari has also stayed true to her roots as a pharmacist. She continues to publish in the areas of pharmaceutical compounding and hospital pharmacy. She is a success as a scientist, entrepreneur, and educator and a deserving recipient of this national award.
Congratulations Professor Foldvari!