Leader in Pharmacometric Innovation and Drug Development Named Gyi Professor in Pharmapreneurship

Nationally and internationally recognized faculty member exemplifies the entrepreneurial spirit that defines pharmapreneurship.

By Becky Ceraul
May 8, 2025

Joga Gobburu, PhD, MBA, professor of practice, sciences, and health outcomes research at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy (UMSOP), has been appointed by Dean Sarah L.J. Michel, PhD, as the School’s Gyi Endowed Memorial Professor in Pharmapreneurship. A nationally and internationally recognized leader in pharmacometric innovation and drug development, Gobburu exemplifies the entrepreneurial spirit that defines pharmapreneurship.

As founder and director of the School’s Center for Translational Medicine, Gobburu has pioneered novel approaches to drug therapy, regulatory science, and translational research, co-founding two companies – PumasAI, Inc., and VivPro Corporation – that support pharmaceutical scientists, health care providers, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, and regulatory agencies. Additionally, Gobburu created the School of Pharmacy’s MS in Pharmacometrics in 2012, the first 100 percent online master’s program at UMB.

“The Gyi Endowed Professorship is not just an honor — it’s a call to action to champion bold ideas, foster entrepreneurial thinking, and push the boundaries of what’s possible in health care,” says Gobburu. “I am deeply grateful to Dean Michel for entrusting me with this opportunity and for supporting a vision of innovation that empowers both our School and the future of health care.”

Gobburu’s work has earned him numerous recognitions, such as the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s 2024 David J. Ramsay Entrepreneur of the Year and the 2024 Lewis B. Sheiner Lecturer Award, the highest recognition from the International Society of Pharmacometrics. In addition, he is director of the School of Pharmacy’s newest academic program, the MS in Artificial Intelligence for Drug Development, which is launching this fall.

“Dr. Gobburu’s leadership will bring new dimensions to the Pharmapreneurship® initiative, building on the strong foundation laid by his predecessor, Dr. Magaly Rodriguez de Bittner,” says Michel, who is also a professor of pharmaceutical sciences. “I am excited to see the ways in which he will further catalyze innovation, collaboration, and impact within our community.

Gobburu succeeds Magaly Rodriguez de Bittner, PharmD, MS, FAPhA, who is transitioning from her role as the School’s inaugural Felix Gyi Endowed Memorial Professor in Pharmapreneurship to take on new responsibilities as president-elect of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA).

“Throughout her tenure as the Gyi Professor and in her previous work developing and shaping our exclusive Pharmapreneurship® initiative, Dr. Rodriguez de Bittner has been a tireless champion for pharmapreneurship, advancing our mission to foster innovation and entrepreneurial thinking across all areas of the School of Pharmacy,” says Michel.

During her tenure as the Gyi Professor, Rodriguez de Bittner:

• Developed and instituted the Pharmapreneurship Pathway in the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) curriculum.
• Created several business pitching experiences and competitions for students.
• Helped secure scholarship funding for students with demonstrated interest in entrepreneurship.
• Helped lead a national marketing and branding campaign for pharmapreneurship.
• Led the inclusion of pharmapreneurship in the forthcoming PharmD MPact curriculum.
• Secured numerous collaborations with business and academic entities.
• Secured the School of Pharmacy’s membership in the Leadership Circle of the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurial Centers, making UMSOP the only school of pharmacy in this prestigious group.
• Oversaw the School’s inaugural Pharmapreneurship Summit last fall, which brought local and national experts from higher education, business, and health care to Pharmacy Hall.

Rodriguez de Bittner will continue to focus her considerable talents on her positions as the School’s associate dean for clinical services and practice transformation and as director of the Center for Innovative Pharmacy Solutions, where she will lead efforts to expand clinical innovations and partnerships that enhance patient care and the practice of pharmacy. In addition, she has recently assumed the position of president-elect APhA, an organization she will lead as president in 2026.

Pharmapreneurship was founded at the School of Pharmacy in 2017, building upon the School’s rich history of manifesting groundbreaking solutions that address unmet medical needs, improve outcomes, and enhance care.

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